Only 15% of GPs held Children's Gram Sabhas in Karnataka last year

Mysuru: Even though the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department passed an order to conduct two children's Gram Sabhas under each Gram Panchayat for over 10 weeks, during Children's Day, since 2006, last year only 15 per cent of the GPs held them.

These sabhas are intended to provide a platform for kids, to voice their grievances, needs, and development perspectives. In order to ensure that all GPs hold Children's Gram Sabhas effectively, the Panchayat Raj Commissionerate began a 'Child Friendly Gram Panchayat special campaign' on November 14. It will be held upto January 24.

This time, they plan to utilise social media to invite petitions from kids via a Facebook page for each Gram Panchayat, besides complaint boxes at schools, GP offices and letters to address their needs and grievances in these Children's Gram Sabhas. Based on suggestions by children during the Children's Gram Sabhas, and child rights NGOs, each GP is expected to prepare a report and send it to the government for necessary reforms.

According to RDPR department sources, during 2023-24, among 5,958 GPs, only 894 Children's Gram Sabhas were held in entire Karnataka. In Mysuru, among 256 GPs, only 50 Children's Gram Sabhas were held. Among 84 GPs in Bengaluru Urban district, only 15 sabhas were held. The highest of 124 sabhas were held in Chikkamagaluru district, followed by 72 in Belagavi, and 62 in Dakshina Kannada district. Only nine, the lowest count, were held in Kalaburgi, whereas10 were held in Bidar district.

The Children's Gram Sabhas are meant to be held for the effective implementation of programmes intended for the overall development of children and protection of child rights.

The PR Commissionerate plans to hold a YouTube live training for Taluk Panchayat EOs and GP PDOs, officials related to children's welfare, and two children from each GP, on Children's Gram Sabhas. It has issued directions to plan programmes to hold them effectively, by involving GP-level bodies like education task force (appoint one of them as Panchayat Bala Mithra), school development and monitoring committee, Bala Vikasa committee, women and children protection committee, GP library committee, health and nutrition and sanitation committee.

The PDO is expected to avail data of the status of children in each GP from teachers, Asha and Anganwadi volunteers and display it on their Facebook page before November 20. During the campaign, they plan to hold events like sports meets, cultural, and story telling programmes to create awareness about protection of child rights on the Sabhas and on helplines like 1098 and 112. They plan to host talks by resource persons to create awareness on prevention of child marriages, and employment of child workers.

During this campaign, the officials are expected to ensure that the birth registration of all children is done and that they get their birth certificates; while also making sure their immunisation is done. They should also ensure that the children get nutritious food and that there are mental health related programmes. They should hold 'Kanya shikshan pravesh utsav' under 'Beti bachao beti padao programme' and get school dropouts readmitted.

Director of Child Rights Trust (CRT) Vasudev Sharma said, "During a project in 2003 and 2004, we found that child-centric data was not readily available in GPs. We submitted a report to the government and recommended to hold Children's Grama Sabhas in 2006, to give a platform for children to speak on their requirements like toilets and adequate buildings in schools, and to encourage children to voice their problems like child marriage."

"But ironically, they are hardly held. They have just become a ritual in many places. CRT has taken up a programme in Dakshina Kannada, Gadag, Ballari and Chikkaballapur districts and is supporting to hold such Sabhas in 108 GPs. Their responses are good. NGOs should be involved to hold these Sabhas," he added.

Member of Karnataka Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KCPCR) Venkatesh said, "at a time when the commission is receiving more cases on child abuse, child marriages and others, it is important to hold such Sabhas in all GPs, to prevent and resolve issues at their levels."

When asked about Children's Gram Sabha, a class 8 student questioned, "Is such a meeting held? If so, it would be good to share our viewpoints."