Form new child rights commission: HC to Telangana government

HYDERABAD: Justice Challa Kodanda Ram of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday set aside the recently constituted Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on the grounds that it was not constituted in tune with the relevant rules and the requirements of children. Asking the state to follow the mandate and the procedure mentioned in its own GO Ms No 3 issued on January 20, 2015, the judge told the state to set up the commission afresh and made it clear that the appointees to the commission must have proven credentials of their commitment towards the cause of children along with at least 10 years of service in such a field.
Justice Kodanda Ram pronounced this judgment after hearing pleas by four persons who separately challenged the appointment of Gudimalla Ravi Kumar as chairman and Anumandla Shoba Rani, Mooga Jayasree, Banda Ramaleela, Ponugoti Anjan Rao, P Revathi Devi, Joginapally Srinivasa Rao as commission members .
Justice Kodanda Ram in his order said: "There should be a selection committee under the chairmanship of the child welfare minister. And two members should assist him to identify right persons as chairman and members of the commission. In the current case, the minister was not there when the selection committee took this decision. And without the chairman being present, the two members took the decision. This is contrary to the mandate of the law. This was in addition to the allegations that none of the appointees suit the task prescribed by the commission for protection of child rights Act and the rules framed by the state in 2017."