Notwithstanding the G.O., actors want that the government appoint members to the JJB and CWC

A G.O. was released by the social welfare department, forming a committee to choose social workers to serve on the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), as well as to serve as the chair and members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The committee will be presided over by a retired high court judge. There are openings in 19 districts for CWCs and JJBs, thus child rights campaigners have asked the government not to postpone the hiring process any longer.

Previously, district-level appointments were made for these positions; however, the Tamil Nadu Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2017 have been altered to create a state-level committee in its place.

The chief justice of the Madras High Court would be consulted during the appointment of the retired high court judge who will lead the state-level selection committee. Six other people will be on the committee: two representatives from two reputable non-governmental organizations, two representatives from universities or other educational establishments, one representative from the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the director of social defense, who will serve as the ex-officio member secretary. There will be a three-year term for the committee.

Prior to this, district collectors, deputy commissioners of police, and district superintendents of police served as members of a committee chaired by the main district and sessions judge.

Many stakeholders emphasized that positions ought to be filled as soon as possible, even while they applauded the state-level committee’s selection in accordance with federal regulations. “The CWC’s term in Madurai has come to a close, and members from Dindigul have been assigned more responsibility to complete the tasks. In Chennai Central, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Madurai, and Tirunelveli, the scenario is the same. These bodies are not established in the recently created districts either, and the matters in these districts are handled by those in neighboring districts. A member of the child welfare committee said, “The members’ inability to manage a large volume of cases has an impact on the safety of children.

As the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha election approaches, child rights campaigners encouraged the social welfare department to nominate the members as soon as possible. They went on to say that the vulnerable children will suffer from the appointments being delayed.