No budget to NCRC objected

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 24: The National Child Rights Council (NCRC), which was established for the protection and promotion of child rights, has been allotted zero budget in the red book of the fiscal year 2023/24.

The NCRC, which has been performing various works in the field of child protection, street child rescue, rehabilitation and child violence used to be allocated a budget of around Rs. 80 to 90 million rupees in the past years. But this year, no budget was set aside for the council. 

The officials of the council and child rights workers have drawn the attention of the concerned agencies saying that the budget allocated under the sub-heading for the National Council for Child Rights was zero in the red book.

They also drew the attention of the concerned parties, including the Prime Minister and Chief Secretary to the issue.

Vice-chairperson of the Council, Bam Bahadur Baniya, said that the budget of the council, which has been working for the welfare of children who make up 33 per cent of the total population of Nepal, would not be cut.  

He further said he was assured that the budget has not been cut.

He said that in the discussion held with the women and child rights activists, they got a positive assurance that the budget allocated for the council was for children all over the country and should not be cut. 

Prakash Khatiwada, president of the National Child Protection Network, said that the council is the main body that coordinates with several organisations working in the field of children, and if there is no budget, many programmes in the area would be affected. 

He said that a meeting was held with Chief Secretary Baikunth Aryal on Thursday, and a positive response was received.

Milan Raj Dharel, the former executive director of the NCRC, said that not allocating any budget to the council, which has been working for children for 20-22 years as the Central Child Welfare Committee and currently as the National Child Rights Council, is not a just act. 

“It is a threat to the future of the country,” he said.

The NCRC has been conducting policy consultations, capacity-building programmes and child protection mechanisms (Child Helpline Service 1098 and Children Search Service 104) to all three levels of government for child welfare programmes.

It has been coordinating with the provincial and local governments for the rescue, protection and management of children who are exposed to violence, abuse and risk and for the protection and promotion of children's rights.