BENGALURU: After visiting 10 prisons across the state, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has issued a direction to enroll the children below 18 years belonging to the prisoners under Mission Vatsalya, where a child will get Rs 4,000 a month to cover education costs (for purchasing uniforms and books) and scholarships to ensure their holistic development and protection.
The direction comes in the backdrop of information from jail authorities that 172 prisoners in Bengaluru Central Prison have at least 2 children below 18 years in their families.
Shashidhar Kosambe, the chairperson of the KSCPCR, who visited prisons, including Bengaluru Central Prison, Ramanagara, Vijayapura, Ballari, Bidar, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Chikkaballapura, and after seeing prisoners, said he wondered who would take care of the children of the inmates.
“Many of the prisoners might have been the sole breadwinner of their families, and when they end up in jail, their children are left to suffer for no fault of theirs. Hence, I have issued a direction to the Child Welfare Committee, Bengaluru West’ (CWC, Anekal Division) and the jail authorities to identify the prisoners’ children aged below 18 and ensure that they get psycho-sociological support to ensure their upbringing is filled with discipline and dignity,” said Kosambe.
Kosambe also said the KSCPCR wants to ensure that these children are brought under Mission Vatsalya, a Central government programme, and the details are given to the Women and Child Department.
At present, the scheme covers children under 18 living with relatives or in Child Care Institutions (CCIs). “We need to ensure that the children from these segments do not go astray without care and protection. The CWC and jail authorities are tasked with checking the family background of prisoners and listing the children below 18 years,” said Kosambe.
Bengaluru West (Anekal) District Child Protection Officer Asha HK said that two weeks ago, the KSCPCR had inspected the Bengaluru Central Prison and directed the CWC to source the details of prisoners. In coordination with the jail superintendent, a list of 172 prisoners with at least two children was prepared and sent to the commission.