The Tamil Nadu Empowered Committee on Special Services for Children, meant to administer all the government homes functioning for children in conflict with law, has not convened a single meeting since its conception in 2024.
According to sources in the Children Welfare and Special Service department (CWSS), a meeting was scheduled when the committee was constituted, but it was cancelled. Since then a meeting has not been called.
The functioning of the committee assumes importance as 12 inmates escaped from a Government Place of Safety in Athur, near Chengalpattu, recently.
Child rights activists note that the committee could have worked to improve the mechanism and infrastructure for children in conflict with law.
The committee was formed to implement the recommendations made by the one-man committee headed by retired Justice K. Chandru for the effective functioning and administration of government observation homes, special homes, and places of safety.
The 15-member committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has the secretary of the Social Welfare Department as the member secretary, and the director of Children Welfare and Special Services as the convenor. Additionally, secretaries of eight other departments, including revenue, health, public works, school education, home, youth welfare, finance, and differently-abled, are a part of the committee. The other members include the member secretary of the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, the managing director of Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, and child rights activist Andrew Sesuraj. They are supposed to meet every three months.
However, the convenor of the committee is the CWSS director, a post which has been vacant for close to a year. The department has been operating without a dedicated director since its previous director, Johny Tom Varghese, was transferred in August 2025. Child rights activists point out that this has caused a mismanagement of operations in the department.
As per a government order issued in 2024, the committee oversees the development and well-being of children in conflict with the law, focusing on management of homes, staffing, health services, training, food, stakeholder involvement, and after-care. Further, it also focuses on enhancing programmes related to curriculum development, social security schemes and family-strengthening initiatives.
“The move to constitute such a committee was welcomed. It gave the highest priority to children in conflict with law as it would prevent them from committing crimes and be a part of society,” said Mr. Andrew.
A senior official with the department said that a meeting would be called soon.
Published - July 17, 2026 12:39 am IST