Nagaland gets serious about child rights

Kohima | May 5 : Nagaland will soon constitute a Commission for Protection of Child Rights along with the rest of the country. Talking to media persons here this morning, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Welfare & Women Development Chotisuh Sazo said the state is all set to form the said Commission in pursuance with the directive of the Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India.
Confirming that the state has received the directive from the Ministry of Social Justice in April, Sazo said, “The formation of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights is under process.” Such Commission, the parliamentary secretary said, when constituted, will address the issue of child labour and other related matters.
Also touching on the area of physically handicapped persons, he stressed on the need to constitute a full time Commission for Disabled Persons in the state. The government must give special attention to physically handicapped persons, like effective implementation of the reservation of jobs, providing environment friendly infrastructure and providing wheelchairs.
Sazo also strongly stressed on the need for computerization of the department of social welfare, adding that at least one computer each needs to be provided to the DWOs and CDPOs in the state, so that the concerned officers will be able to give monthly report and power point presentations.
Such process would enhance the performance of the department and enable the officers to provide monthly reports to the Ministry on time through the internet, he added. Also highlighting various activities of the women development department, Sazo stated that the department would work out the necessity to open more platforms towards the empowerment of women in the state.
The department will address the social and legal issues as well, he said. Referring to old age pension scheme, he said that the state will be implementing Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). This scheme, which is likely to be implemented by this year, is targeting to cover 64,000 persons, he said. The scheme will benefit senior citizens who are above 65 years and they will be entitled to get Rs. 400 per month, Sazo added.