CSR funds can be used for child welfare, HC told

Panaji: Advocate Moses Pinto suggested to the high court of Bombay at Goa on Monday that corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources be utilised for child welfare and the rehabilitation of beggars.

The HC had asked Pinto to submit suggestions to address the issues of children begging that he had raised in his PIL.State govt may facilitate the creation of a child welfare CSR fund to consolidate CSR contributions from corporates wishing to support child rescue and rehabilitation projects, he suggested. Further, he said that the funds be transparently managed with dedicated utilisation towards rescue drives, shelter creation, education initiatives, and rehabilitation measures for rescued children.The department of women and child development, along with the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, may establish an empanelment system for credible NGOs with experience in child protection. Only such accredited organisations should be eligible to receive CSR funding under the initiative, he suggested.