As per a study done by the auditor, in 2022-2023, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) was found to have embezzled money meant for research. This leads to very serious doubts about the aims and responsibilities of the body. Despite receiving Rs. 19 lakh for research, the commission didn’t carry out any research initiatives during this time, according to the report.
Instead, the CCPCR spent approximately Rs 11.96 lakh on conferences and workshops, raising questions about the effective use of resources meant to bolster child rights initiatives. The remaining Rs 7 lakh from the allocated budget went unspent, suggesting a lack of strategic planning within the commission.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Indian Constitution both specify the preservation of children’s rights, which the CCPCR was entrusted with overseeing and monitoring when it was founded in February 2014. The audit also showed that the commission had not yet appointed anybody regularly to fill the four sanctioned positions, despite having received grant-in-aid totaling ₹1.2 crores over the years.
RK Garg underlined the necessity of taking significant action to resolve the inconsistencies found in the results when requesting the audit report under the RTI Act. The CCPCR’s current chair, Shipra Bansal, acknowledged that the problems related to the time before her appointment but promised to look into the concerns expressed.
Additionally, the audit pointed out that the commission failed to maintain a liability register, which is crucial for effective financial control. Furthermore, it uncovered that the CCPCR had made Rs 2.47 crore in rent payments based on a defective agreement with the Chandigarh Child and Women Development Corporation (CCWDC) for premises it did not legally own.
The findings of this audit call for immediate attention to ensure that the CCPCR fulfills its mandate effectively and responsibly.
