Lahore: Besides tall claims of protection of children, the Punjab government could not activate the Child Protection Center in Sahiwal despite spending millions of rupees.
An official from the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CP&WB) informed this scribe that when the bureau was set up in 2007, its purpose was to protect vulnerable children, including child beggars. The Bureau’s objectives also included providing protection to children who were victims of physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
The official further informed that the bureau also provides a safe environment and shelter to such children. However, when it was planned to expand the scope of this service in Punjab, a project in this regard was started in Sahiwal in 2014-15.
The cost of the project was RS 108.794 million and it was planned that the project would be completed in 24 months but due to various reasons the project was delayed and completed in 66 months.
“Interestingly, the actual cost of completion of the project was RS126.075 million which was 15.88 percent more than the amount allocated for the project. The purpose of the center was to provide protective custody, care and rehabilitation services for destitute and neglected children and to control and reduce the extent of child neglect, exploitation and abuse”.
Similarly, the official said, it was also the part of objectives to create awareness among masses about protection of rights of children and to provide counseling and guidance to parents of destitute and neglected children.
“The project also aimed to provide education to the children of child protection institutions and rehabilitation of destitute and neglected children in the society and to monitor and follow-up rehabilitated children after reunification,” official informed.
He added that after such a delay, the project could not fulfill any of its objectives despite its completion whereas the civil work of the Center has been completed but there were also many shortcomings in it.
“The constructed facility is still not functional and there are numerous problems in civil work such as slanted cracks in the walls of buildings, termite infestation and leakage. In addition, several windows have been shattered due to air pressure during the thunderstorm and cracks have appeared on the roof surface of the children’s hostel building”.
“Due to lack of proper maintenance of the center and lack of cleanliness inside the buildings, weeds and shrubs have grown in many places. In continuation, an amount of RS 2.024 million was allocated for the consultancy services, however the consultant was not hired during the execution phase,” he added.
However, when contacted, CP&WB Legal Officer Muhammad Mumtaz, he informed Pakistan Today that a major reason for the delay in the project was the unavailability of funds.
“It was not that the funds were not received but the project was delayed due to the small amount of funds being received in different installments. There was a process of getting approval from, but now that process is complete,” he said.
“Staffing is required to run any project and there was a process of getting approval from the finance department for staff appointments. Now, however, that process is complete and staff appointments have been made. All the objectives of the project are also being achieved and defects in civil works have also been rectified,” he maintained.
