The Ministry of Women and Child Development will launch an Integrated Child Protection Scheme to address the issue of child protection and build a protective environment for children through government-civil society partnerships

With the safety of children becoming an issue of national concern, in the aftermath of the Nithari killings, India's Union Budget 2007-2008 has earmarked Rs 85.5 crore for implementation of an Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).

Funds for child developmenton the whole have been increased to Rs 5,053.33 crore from last year's Rs 4,255.51 crore, Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced as he presented the budget to Parliament on February 28.

The ICPS is being launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to address the issue of child protection and build a protective environment for children through government-civil society partnerships.

In addition to the budgetary provision of Rs 85.5 crore, an amount of Rs 9.50 crore will be made available for implementation of the scheme in the northeastern states.

Allocation for the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) has been increased to Rs 4,761 crore from last year's Rs 4,087 crore. The government plans to expand the ICDS to cover all habitations during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.

A conditional cash transfer scheme for girl-children, with insurance cover, is also being introduced during the current financial year as a central pilot project. Budgetary provision of Rs 13.50 crore has been made available for this scheme that aims to tackle the problem of discrimination against the girl-child.

The cash transfer will be provided to the family of the girl-child, preferably the mother, only after the claimant fulfils certain conditions such as providing the child's birth registration certificate, immunisation records, enrolling the child in school, and agreeing not to marry her off until she is 18 years old.

Source: www.hindu.com, February 28, 2007