The union and state governments should take proactive steps to establish dedicated drug treatment and rehabilitation centres for children, the regional judicial colloquium onPOCSOAct, juvenile , and drug abuse among children that was organized here by theKerala high courthas recommended.
The colloquium for the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala made the recommendation on Sunday, the final day of the two-day programme held at Kochi Marriott Hotel. The programme was aimed at sensitizing the stakeholders in different domains of the justice delivery system handling cases involving children.
A recommendation for setting up dedicated drug treatment and rehabilitation centres for children was made by the colloquium in tune with the directives issued by The Supreme Court in a 2016 judgment (Bachpan Bhachao Andolan Vs. Union of India) and as per the provisions of a 2018 central scheme, titled Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse and for Social Defense Services.