Assam: BTC pledges 1% of 2024-25 budget for 'child-friendly' programmes at Kokrajhar meet

A one-day consultation on "Child-Friendly BTR" was held at the BTC Secretariat Conference Hall in Kokrajhar, focusing on strengthening child protection, education, and healthcare in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

The session covered ongoing child-friendly efforts in 10 MCLA constituencies, the role of the media in combatting violence against children, and the implementation of Mission Vatsalya in the region.

During the meeting, the BTC announced that 1% of its financial budget for 2024-25 would be dedicated to child-friendly programs. The consultation also addressed challenges such as child labour and emphasised developing child-centric solutions.

The event was attended by BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pramod Kumar, Deputy CEM Gobinda Basumatary, EMs Gautam Das, Dr Nilut Swargiary, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) Chairperson Shyamlal Prasad Saikia, and UNICEF Assam's Lakshminaryan Nanda among others.