In a bid to extend a helping hand to minor children who return to the mainstream after getting inducted into Naxal groups, the State Government has begun recruiting them as Bal Arakshi, who will later be appointed as regular constables once they attain an age of 18. Until then, those children will get half of the salary of a constable to meet their daily needs.
“The minor children, who somehow manage to get back into the mainstream after returning from the Naxal fold, are given a chance to rehabilitate themselves by appointing them as ‘Bal Arakshi’ into the police force,” said IG (Operations) cum Jharkhand Police Spokesperson MS Bhatia. In the mean time, they are also given a liberty to continue their studies if they want to, he added.
“Once they attain the age 18, they are given a choice either to join Police Force as regular Constables or continue their studies further. “If they say that they want to continue their studies further, the salary they were getting will be stopped immediately,” said Bhatia.
IG (Personnel) Arun Kumar Singh said that the arrangement have been made to give a positive message among the minor rebels that the Government was there to support them and they will not left alone if they join the mainstream.
“To appoint Bal Arakshi, there is a condition that there should not be any case registered against them in any of the Police Stations during their stay with the rebels,” said Singh.
Singh said that only two children – Bal Muni of lohardaga and Achu Herenz of Chaibasa, have been appointed as Bal Arakshi by the Jharkhand Government where the proposal made by District Compensation Committee and District Rehabilitation Committee goes through a long process, finally getting an approval from Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
CM, on Foundation Day on Tuesday, gave appointment letter to Bal Arakshi Bal Muni, studying in Class VII.