Chennai, Oct 6 (NationPress) Over two months have elapsed since the establishment of a new state-level selection committee tasked with appointing members to Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), yet the Tamil Nadu government has left more than 20 districts without updated panels. This situation has alarmed child rights advocates and legal professionals.

Currently, four districts—Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, and Virudhunagar—are entirely devoid of CWCs, while many others continue to operate with expired terms that have been prolonged for several months.

Established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, CWCs are quasi-judicial entities responsible for making decisions regarding the care, protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration of vulnerable children. They manage sensitive cases that range from placing children in safe environments to overseeing care facilities.

“Four districts have been without dedicated committees for over six months now. In Villupuram, for example, cases are being managed by the Kallakurichi CWC, which forces members to travel one or two days a week, stretching resources thin across regions. This situation inevitably compromises the quality and timeliness of decisions affecting at-risk children,” stated Zahiruddin Mohammed, a former CWC chairperson and petitioner in relevant public interest litigations at the Madras High Court.

Sources from the Social Defence Department indicated that members managing cases in adjacent districts do not receive travel allowances or compensation, further deterring effective oversight.

Previously, CWCs were appointed by district-level committees, but this process faced criticism due to delays and inconsistent candidate evaluations.

This year, the state adopted a centralized, state-level selection committee to guarantee transparency and uniform quality.

Officials conveyed that the committee has already assessed applicants and made recommendations, yet appointments are still pending. The terms of committees in 17 districts—including Dindigul, Tiruchy, Ramanathapuram, Kallakurichi, and Chengalpattu—have been extended, some since April.

According to the law, the member-secretary of the selection panel is required to initiate the appointment process six months prior to a panel’s term conclusion, and the government must finalize new members within three months of receiving recommendations.

When approached, officials from the Directorate of Child Welfare and Special Services mentioned that the verification of shortlisted candidates is in progress and that appointments are expected “within a month.”

However, child rights advocates argue that the delays undermine the fundamental purpose of the state-level selection mechanism, leaving countless at-risk children in a state of uncertainty.