CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the State Social Defence Department to proceed with the appointment of new members to the District Welfare Committees for the 32 District Juvenile Justice Boards (DJJBs), based on the new rules in consonance with the Model Rules of the Central Government, within four months.
A Division Bench of Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and M Dhandapani gave the directive while disposing of pleas from S Srinivasa Raghavan and C Anandaraj to restrain the department from posting members to DJJBs without constituting selection panel under Rule 119 of Model Rules Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, as mandated under Rule 3(2) thereto.
The petitioners also prayed for a directive to the State Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme and the Director of Social Defence to take action to constitute the selection committee under Rule 87 of the Juvenile Justice Model Rules. They sought appropriate steps for the selection of the members for the JJBs and the chairperson and members of Child Welfare Committees in all the 32 districts under Section 88 of Juvenile Justice Model Rules and to frame new rules within the time to be stipulated by the HC.
Based on new rules
The Bench said it appears that appointment process was not completed and since the new rules came into effect in 2016, appointment has to proceed based on new rules in consonance with the Model Rules of Central Govt only