LAHORE, March 1: Unicef has extended Rs20 million grant through the Punjab social welfare department to train volunteer organizations’ members, the Nigheban Centres employees and girl guides to highlight the rights of children in the province.

An agreement was signed by Punjab social welfare department Secretary Qazi Afaaq Husain and Unicef Punjab chief Bijaya Rajbhindari here on Saturday.

Social welfare Director-General Mazhar Ali Khan and Unicef representatives Shamshad Qureshi, Shahida Waheed Karak and Naureen Naqvi were also present there.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Husain said the Punjab government had already set up a Child Welfare Commission to implement the Juvenile Justice Ordinance in a better manner. He, however, said the volunteer organizations, orphanages and Nigheban Centres employees needed training to become a vital force to uphold the children’s rights.

He said the government would also take legal action against those orphanages, which were paying no heed to provide all rights to the children. He added that legal notices were also being issued to those orphanages, which had yet to be registered with the social welfare department.

Under Unicef training programme, he said the volunteer organizations’ representatives would be given practical training on the juvenile justice.

He said around 35,000 boy scouts and girl guides would be trained to create awareness among parents about vaccination against lethal diseases, birth registration, increase in enrolment rate in schools and motivate the dropouts to rejoin schools.