Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) Chairman Vetukuri A.V.S. Surya Narayana Raju recommended the State government to set up a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) in the newly-formed Markapuram district. During a two-day visit to Prakasam district, he also identified several lapses in child protection and directed for corrective steps.

Accompanied by APSCPCR member Vundavalli Gandhi Babu, he conducted a one-day district-level workshop and review meeting with officials of the DCPU and other concerned departments at the Collectorate in Ongole on Tuesday. They inquired with Labour Department officials about the number of child labour cases recently recorded in the combined district.

The APSCPCR chief also sought information on the number of child marriages, child labour and bonded labour cases recorded in the district over the past two years. He questioned about the FIRs filed by the police, and follow-up reports. He discussed on the number of girls re-enrolled in school and the awareness programmes conducted on the law against child marriage.

Mr. Surya Narayana Raju also reviewed the number of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases registered in the district, and deliberated on the coordination between the District Medical and Health, Women and Child Welfare and Education departments to address the challenges in issuing birth certificates for children born in such cases.

He directed the officials of the Municipal, District Medical and Health, and Rural Water Supply (RWS) departments to coordinate to provide improved facilities for hostel students and ensure the prevention of seasonal diseases. He also instructed to maintain quality and hygiene of the meals provided to students in various welfare hostels across tribal areas in the district.

Earlier on Monday, the APSCPCR Chairman and Mr. Vundavalli Gandhi Babu inspected several diagnostic and scanning centres in Ongole to assess compliance with the provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, which prohibits sex selection and regulates prenatal diagnostic procedures. They stressed on the need to prevent any practices that could harm the girl child.