Provide free education, medical facilities to children up to 18 years

Fatehgarh sahib, Punjab:  Laying stress on making Punjab free of child labour, Punjab Protection of Child Rights Commission chairman Swaran Salaria has said children up to the age of 18 years should be provided free medical facilities as well as free education. Addressing a seminar on child rights protection at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College on Tuesday, Salaria said he would soon meet chief minister Parkash Singh Badal over the issue.

The seminar was organised under the campaign to create awareness among children about their rights.

Taking serious note of violations of norms by school buses, Salaria said the transport department should implement traffic rules strictly.

He also appealed to the parents not to compromise with safety of children who travel in dilapidated school buses. He said the transport department officials should not allow any body run dilapidated school buses.

Discussing the Punjab Child Rights Act, 2005, Salaria said constitutional and legal rights of children are protected under this and provision has been made that the violator could be sentenced for 10 years and fined up to ` 50,000.

Source: HT