Dehradun: On the lines of Haryana and Gujarat, Uttarakhand will get its first child-friendly police station in Dehradun. To ensure that children get a friendly environment and are not treated like criminals or victims, it has been decided to renovate the Dhara Chowki police station on Rajpur Road.Usha Negi, chairperson of Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (USCPCR) on Saturday inspected the police station and discussed the issue with the concerned officials. Negi said that in the first phase, around 15 such police stations would be started in densely populated areas.She added, “The police station will have a room in pink and blue shades with toys, books and other recreational items for the children so that they don’t get a feeling of being a criminal or a bad person. These small initiatives will play a big role in keeping the child anxiety-free.”She added that according to the Supreme Court guidelines, if we have to get out details of an incident from a child, we will have to give him/her a comforting environment.She said that the commission has directed the state government to identify more such police stations in Uttarakhand. The commission has also asked the police department to create a budget for these rooms from their regular budget.In the past four years, Uttarakhand has recorded 1,589 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act as per data procured by the commission from the police department.Experts are of the opinion that there is no sensitivity among police officers while dealing with such cases.An activist and senior advocate, who didn’t choose to be named, said, “One would be shocked to see how statements of rape victims are recorded and how children accused are treated at police stations. This is a much-needed initiative and should be implemented in all police stations in the state.”

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