Government warns against using kids’ pics for fund raising

The Women and Child Welfare Department has warned of action against those raising funds for Covid relief works, by using photos of children.

In a release, the department said that several non-governmental organisations and voluntary groups were using the photographs of children to collect donations. Under the centrally-sponsored Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), the department has registered about 1,000 government and private institutions, to provide help to children in need.

"It has come to our notice that several NGOs are using photos of children to raise donations to meet their food, health and other expenditure during the lockdown. However, this is against the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act," the director of the ICDS scheme stated in a release.

The department noted that those violating the rule face up to 6 months of imprisonment and/or up to Rs 2 lakh penalty. "During the ongoing emergency period, NGOs facing such problems can contact the officials concerned at the district level for help or call the toll-free childline 1098," it said.