Social work: ‘Govt will protect poor children in its custody’

He was visiting the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau office to review its performance.

He also participated in a briefing session where Saba Sadiq, chairperson of the bureau, gave him several proposals on how to improve the working of the bureau.

The minister also met children under the custody of the bureau and asked them about their needs and wishes.

He said services of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau would be expanded and amendments made in the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act to meet current requirements of social workers and the children. He said district committees to monitor the work of the bureau would be activated.

The minister called on the civil society to help the government look after the children.

CPWB Chairperson Saba Sadiq said 26,893 lost children, beggars, addicts, and abandoned children had been look after for over the last seven years.

She said CPWB offices would be set up at Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan and offices of the bureau in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi and Sialkot would be upgraded.

She said a CPWB building had recently been built at Rahim Yar Khan at a cost of Rs134.95 million.

She said an awareness campaign against child beggary would also be launched with the coordination of district coordination officers, the traffic police, the civil society.

She said a help line for children was also being established at Rescue 1121 centres.

Sadiq said child protection schools were also being upgraded up to secondary level.

She said that nurseries for infants and special education for physically and mentally disabled children would also be set up.

DCO Noorul Amin Mengal said the district administration would offer fully cooperate with the CPWB for the rehabilitation of children.

He said children under the custody of the CPWB would be allowed free entrees at fun fairs and parks would be ensured.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2014.