Meena Kharkongor named child panel chief

SHILLONG: Noted lawyer Meena Kharkongor will be the first Chairperson of the State   Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma announced the name of Kharkongor after a cabinet meeting held here on Monday.
The names of other members of the Commission will be announced later.
Kharkongor is currently the member of the State Women’s Commission.
Several prominent persons had applied for the post while responding to an advertisement posted by the Social Welfare Department.
Besides Kharkongor, other five applicants for the post of the Chairperson were Morris Augustine Jala, Sengman R Marak,  Widaline Kharbuli, Benison Sangma and JD Sangma.
Among them,  JD Sangma is the former education department official who is currently appointed as joint Director MeCOFED. Sangma’s name had figured in the CBI report on education scam.
Briefing reporters further on the matter, the Social Welfare Minister Deborah Marak said that a search committee has been formed to find out the five members for the Commission.
The Chairperson of the Commission was selected by the Selection Committee headed by the Social Welfare Minister.     The role of the Commission will be to analyze existing laws and policies to assess the compliance with the convention on child rights and undertake inquiries and produce reports on any aspect of policy or practice affecting children.