Govt allows JJB, CWC to restart work

Noida: The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which were disbanded by the Uttar Pradesh government after their tenure ended in January,

Noida: The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which were disbanded by the Uttar Pradesh government after their tenure ended in January, have now been reinstated following three separate high court orders asking the government to do so.

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On January 31, the government had stopped the functioning of these two bodies and given equivalent power to ADM level officials nominated by the district magistrate for the CWC, and a judicial official for the JJB as the two-year term of these bodies had come to an end.

Uttar Pradesh has 75 district-level CWCs and JJBs. As of January 31, the district had almost 1,150 cases pending before the Juvenile Justice Board while approximately 200 children are currently housed in the district observation home.

Officials had earlier said the decision to appoint one official is in violation of Section 7 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which states that at least two members are needed to handle all cases under the JJ Act.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, in three separate orders dated February 7, 12 and 18, directed the government to extend the terms of these bodies till July 1 and to reinstate them immediately.

However, without a written notification from the government, officials were unable to resume duty.

Orders from the state women welfare department came on March 2 and it stated that the high court orders have to be followed immediately. The order was signed by Manoj Rai, director, women welfare department.

“Now we will restart work. Cases have piled up in the time the two bodies were disbanded and we will immediately get to work,” Aneesh Kumar Singh Baghel, JJB member, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

He also said the JJB will remain functional till July after which a new term will start and new members will take over.

As of January 31, the district had almost 1,150 cases pending before the Juvenile Justice Board while approximately 200 children are currently housed in the district observation home.

During this time, hearings were affected and children were unable to present their cases and had to remain in judicial custody indefinitely. Experts had termed the government order disbanding the two boards “irresponsible” and said it created several problems in ongoing cases and, especially, in interstate transfers.