CHENNAI: Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) has urged the government to include Bala Sabhas in the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Ward Committee and Area Sabha) Rules, 2022, which was notified by the State recently.
While the Tamil Nadu State Policy for Children, 2021 states that children are capable of forming views and there is a provision for creating Bala Sabhas in Gram Panchayats, there is no similar provision for the urban set-up.
The children policy states that the State will adopt overarching measures to ensure that "children are respected and given opportunities to partake in matters of concern to them". It also has a provision for the creation of Bala Sabhas in all Gram Panchayats, where all children in the age group 12-18 years, are members.
The Bala Sabhas are to meet at least four times in a year, pass resolutions on matters related to children and submit them to the Gram Sabha to take appropriate action by affirming the resolutions passed in Bala Sabha, said a statement from Vanessa Peter, founder of IRCDUC.
However, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Ward Committee and Area Sabha) Rules, 2022 notified on June 24, 2022, has no reference to the formation of Bala Sabhas or Siruvar Sabhas, involving children.
The IRCDUC urged the State to amend the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Ward Committee and Area Sabha) Rules, 2022 so as to constitute Siruvar Nagara Mandrams' or Bala Sabhas to ensure that children are provided with a democratic space to provide their inputs and strengthen public policies and programmes.