National Children Council should not be scrapped: Chair Karki

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Women and Social Affairs Committee, Roshan Karki, has said that the National Children Council should not be scrapped.

During discussion on ‘Council’s status, necessity and relevance’ in today’s meeting of the Committee, Chairperson Karki mentioned that it was necessary to promote the Council, which is active in protection of child rights. “If required the Committee is committed to recommend to government in writing for the development of the Council in coordination with the line Ministry,” she said.

Presenting a working paper on ‘Council’s status, necessity and relevance’, former executive director of the Council, Milan Dharel, shared that it was necessary to strengthen the council. He further said around 200 children’s homes and temporary protection centres have filed applications at Council for permission and Council has been carrying out monitoring and regulation of more than 170 children’s homes every year.

It was the responsibility of the Council to identify the families of around 7,000 children, who were brought at the children’s homes against the law, their reconciliation with families and their rehabilitation, mentioned Dharel.

Similarly, Vice-Chairperson of the Council, Bam Bahadur Baniya said attempt to scrap the Council was wrong.

Committee members viewed that the Council should not be scrapped to implement the commitments made in national and international forums, the Committee would always make efforts to make arrangement of budget for Council.