HC notice to TN Govt on PIL over juvenile homes

Madras High Court has issued notice to Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and others on a PIL seeking a direction to close down childcare institutions that do not fulfill the registration criteria and violating provisions of Juvenile Justice Act and Rules.
First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.Sathyanarayanan also suo motu impleaded the National Commission for the protection of Child (NCPCR) as the respondent in the PIL by a social organisation.
When the petition filed by Change India represented by its Director A.Narayanan came up for hearing yesterday, the court ordered issue of notice to the state Chief Social Welfare Secretary and others.

The petitioner prayed the court to direct the authorities concerned to strictly implement section 34(3) of Juvenile Justice Act 2000, as amended in 2006 with respect to child care institutions, run by both government and NGOs, within a fixed time frame and to close down immediately those institutions that do not fulfill the registration criteria and violating provisions of Juvenile Justice Act and Rules.
He submitted that Special Rapporteur of National Human Rights Commission Dr K R Shyamsundar had presented a set of recommendations after finding certain deficiencies during an inspection of such centres in Chennai, Salem, Madurai and Kanyakumari districts last year.

However, he alleged none of the recommendations had been implemented by the authorities. If inspections were carried out in all other districts it would be possible to unearth huge lapses in the maintenance of homes run by the government.
The petitioner also submitted that there was an urgent need of constitution of Home Management Committees under Rule 37, of Tamil Nadu Juvenile Justice Rules 2001, as amended in 2012, in each and every Children's Home.