LUCKNOW
In line with the directive from Union Minister for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, to transfer the responsibilities of Childline (a round-the-clock emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance) to the states, the official handover date for Uttar Pradesh was set for August 31. However, since September 1, the Child Helpline in the state, accessible at 1098, has been unresponsive.
While the notice was issued on *June 22*, with a little over *one week to apply, a majority of the former Childline workers faced difficulties in submitting their applications through the sewayojana.up.nic.in website, where vacancies for three different positions were available - case workers, counsellors, and coordinators. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the handover also indicated that new recruits would receive training on operating in an emergency helpline control room.
Sangeeta Sharma, former in-charge of Childline Lucknow, expressed her concerns, saying, “How will they adequately train workers with such little time, especially when hardly any of them have prior experience? They are requiring a BSc or Intermediate (Science) degree for a case worker’s position at Childline outposts at bus stops, and yet individuals with years of experience are not receiving callbacks. It’s like they are experimenting with the children.”
However, with interviews continuing until August 29, followed by Raksha Bandhan and a weekend before September 1, the time left for training in handling child distress and rescue calls was minimal. Meanwhile, the Mahila Kalyan had issued a 19-page set of instructions, duties and guidelines for the functioning of the new helpline services on August 30. Currently, since the duties of child emergency services have been formally transferred to a wing under the 112 Emergency Police Services, the helpline has remained unresponsive, with a recorded message stating that no attendants are available to take calls at the moment.
{{/usCountry}}However, with interviews continuing until August 29, followed by Raksha Bandhan and a weekend before September 1, the time left for training in handling child distress and rescue calls was minimal. Meanwhile, the Mahila Kalyan had issued a 19-page set of instructions, duties and guidelines for the functioning of the new helpline services on August 30. Currently, since the duties of child emergency services have been formally transferred to a wing under the 112 Emergency Police Services, the helpline has remained unresponsive, with a recorded message stating that no attendants are available to take calls at the moment.
{{/usCountry}}“While the SOP issued for the handover of duties stated that preference would be given to former case workers and those with experience in the field, most of them were unable to submit their applications or never received a response,” said Vivek Sharma, former coordinator of Childline Lucknow.
Some former Childline workers alleged that certain applicants received specific instructions on how to apply and through whom, resulting in callbacks and interviews at the collectorate’s office. The hiring services for Child helpline workers are being managed by an outsourced company called RP Enterprises, as listed on the government Rojgar Sangam website.
Workers across the state have been appealing to higher district authorities for clarity in the application process. “It is virtually impossible to complete the application on the website. In a 10-step process, we are unable to progress beyond the second or third step. Several people have attempted multiple times from different computer systems, but this issue has become a significant obstacle for most applicants,” said Shivam, formerly of Childline. Workers across the state shared similar experiences. Despite their appeals to higher authorities, they are still awaiting a response from the Mahila Kalyan.