Twenty-four children from Meghalaya, who had been taken to Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district, were reunited with their families on Tuesday after a coordinated repatriation effort led by the Social Welfare Department and the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR).
The children arrived at the Directorate of Social Welfare, where officials from the department and child rights organisations formally handed them over to their families. The operation, according to SCPCR Chairperson Agatha Sangma, prioritised the children’s safety and emotional well-being.
Agatha expressed gratitude to authorities in both Meghalaya and Karnataka for their cooperation. She also voiced concern over the growing instances of minors being taken out of the state without following legal procedures. She cited a case reported recently, which prompted the state government to introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the transfer of children below 18 years to institutions outside the state.
“The proposed SOP mandates prior intimation to District Child Protection Officers, proper documentation, verification of the receiving institution’s legal credentials, clarity on the purpose and duration of the stay, medical examinations, and direct communication between authorities of both states,” said an official of the Social Welfare Department.
Also Read: Meghalaya court frames charges in Raja Raghuvanshi murder
Agatha urged parents to remain vigilant, noting that several families were unaware of the names or even the locations of the institutions to which their children had been sent.
Social Welfare Director Camelia Doreen Lyngwa said the department had been alerted to the situation in August. Most of the affected children came from economically weaker households, where parents had hoped to secure better educational opportunities for them outside Meghalaya.
“An inspection by the Chikkaballapur DCPO revealed that the facility housing the children was unregistered and in poor condition, leading to the decision to bring them back,” said the official. The Social Welfare Department and the SCPCR said they will continue monitoring such cases to ensure children’s safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Also Read: Meghalaya holds first Cabinet meeting outdoors at Ward’s Lake
Follow us
