BHUBANESWAR: Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly led by Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro renewed their commitment to improve the lives of children in the State.
As part of an interaction with child representatives from various parts of the State on Tuesday, 25 MLAs from different political parties discussed ways to support children, especially dealing with challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Organised by Unicef in association with Global Policy Research Foundation, the interaction marked the beginning of a partnership with lawmakers to accelerate the progress of children, especially at the grassroots level.
“Addressing the rights of children is crucial for the State’s progress. We need to ensure that our actions benefit children both from rural and urban areas. Though there are many government schemes that are benefiting children, the dialogues with them will help us know their requirements,” said Patro.
Unicef Chief of Field Officer Dr Monika Nielsen said the MLAs will be supported with technical and thematic knowledge including research and data as well as through inputs from legislative committees on children’s issues. Child representatives also presented the legislators with their charter of demands and the latter promised to address them.