There is a need to honour children as the citizens for they have equal rights as that of adults to survive and excel in all spheres, Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat said here on Sunday.
He was addressing a Consultation of Legislators on ‘Building a Protective and Enabling Environment for Children’. Amat urged the legislators to make their constituencies child-friendly. He stressed on safety and protection for all children so that Odisha becomes the first state in the country to become child-friendly.
The consultation was organised by Odisha Alliance on Convention on Rights of the Child (OACRC) in collaboration with UNICEF and was attended by a host of MLAs.
Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh expressed concern over ineffective implementation of child welfare schemes and programmes in the State.
Rajya Sabha member Baishnab Parida called for adoption of scientific approach to solve the problems of children. UNICEF Field Office Chief Yumi Bae and OACRC convenor Ranjan Mohanty spoke. Among others Prafulla Samal, Karendra Majhi, Ramachandra Hansdah, Pratap Sadangi, Jhina Hikaka, Raghunath Sahoo, Bijaya Kumar Nayak, Mamta Madhi, Mukunda Sodi, Rammurty Muttika and Khageswar Behera spoke on the occasion.