District officials told to curb illegal adoptions

Warangal: The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) Advisory Committee chairman, M Ramachandra Reddy, asked the district officials to take serious measures to curb illegal adoptions.

He chaired a review meeting with district welfare department officials here on Wednesday and explained the guidelines of Adoption Regulations, 2017 framed by CARA as mandated under section 68 (c) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Speaking to the press later, he said the Adoption Regulations were framed keeping in mind the issues and challenges faced by the Authority and other stakeholders such as adoption agencies and Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) to strengthen adoption programme and streamlined the process of adoption.

Any violation of the guidelines would attract penal action on both parties involved in adoption of children. The parents who find it difficult to raise their children should approach Child Welfare Committee and surrender them to Shishugruhas or Women and Child Welfare Department, he noted.

Ramachandra Reddy wanted the officials to closely watch hospitals and nursing homes to avoid illegal adoptions and sale of children to the parties coming forward to adopt the children. He also wanted the officials to take measures curtailing child marriages.

Several officials and employees attending the meeting complained about lack of security when they visit villages to prevent child marriages or illegal adoptions. Those involved in the cases were often resorting to physical attacks and sometimes threatening to commit suicide demanding officials to leave the place.

They also said that sometimes the police and local elected representatives have also been supporting those involved in the cases of child marriages or illegal adoptions while referring to some incident occurred recently.

Responding to the complaints, the committee chairman suggested that they should approach the Authority with proper evidence and action would be taken against them. When dealing with such cases entire process must be thoroughly documented, he added.

The district women and child welfare department officer E Shailaja Kumar, ICDS regional joint director V Ramulu, its regional organiser Kamarunnisa Begum, the district child protection officer A Sathish Kumar, I&PR Dy. director DS Jagan and others were present.