Amid instances of runaway children found wandering in railway stations, the railway authorities have constituted child protection committees in Tiruchi Junction, Thanjavur and Villupuram, all in Tiruchi Division, to provide immediate care and protection to these children before being handed over to the Childline.
The panels were set up as per instruction from the Railway Board to all railway zones in the country. The station manager of the respective station is the nodal officer of the committee which comprises of an Inspector of Railway Protection Force (RPF), Inspector of Government Railway Police besides two railway officials.
These three stations were identified as they had witnessed instances of wandering children and those who had run away from their homes. A standard operating procedure has been laid down on ways of dealing with such children and the system of handing them over to the authorities concerned. Details of children found wandering in stations should be collected and maintained before being handed over to the Childline.
The committees have been constituted as railway station happens to be the first contact point of runaway children and rescue them from child abusers and traffickers, say officials.
Besides, RPF personnel of the division were being constantly sensitised to child protection measures and ways of handling wandering children through periodic awareness programmes. A sensitisation programme was organised here on Monday for field-level RPF personnel of Tiruchi Division by the Childline.
Inaugurating the programme, RPF Divisional Security Commissioner, Tiruchi, Senthil Kumaresan, said that a child goes missing every two hours in our country. Many of them land in a trap becoming bonded labourers or subjected to forced beggary or sexual abuse.
T. Jayanthi Ranee, member, State Commission for Protection of Children Rights, said a host of reasons including family factor and situation could be attributed for children running away from their homes. Every child had right to survival, development, protection and participation. RPF personnel must try to win the confidence of children found wandering in railway station and hand them over to the Childline.
J. Godwin Prem Singh, Director, Childline Nodal Organisation, said RPF personnel should remove the fear in runaway children and counsel them.
A. Albert Manoharan, Childline coordinator, dealt on the way of handling children in need of care and protection.
A. Kalaiarasan, Assistant Security Commissioner, RPF, Tiruchi, spoke.
