Itanagar, July 20: The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet on Friday approved the adoption of Model Guidelines for Support Persons under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and cleared a series of proposals aimed at bolstering public safety, legal support, education, and administrative transparency, officials said.
The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, said the POCSO guidelines were aligned with Supreme Court directives and were based on recommendations from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
Under the new policy, one support person will be appointed for every 10 POCSO cases. A total of 27 individuals—one per district—will be engaged to assist minor survivors during legal proceedings, providing both psychological and procedural support. Each support person will be paid ₹15,000 per month, calculated at ₹500 per certified workday, with the initiative expected to cost the state ₹4.86 million ($58,200) annually.
The move follows Supreme Court rulings in We the Women of India vs Union of India and Bachpan Bachao Andolan vs Union of India, which directed states to strengthen child protection mechanisms.
The cabinet also approved the creation of 34 new teaching and non-teaching posts at the Government Engineering College in Toru, Papum Pare district, as part of efforts to expand technical education infrastructure.
In a significant step to enhance internal security, the state sanctioned the formation of a sixth Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), adding to the existing five IRBns and two state armed police battalions. The new unit aims to reduce reliance on central paramilitary forces and generate employment for local youth.
Other administrative reforms approved included:
- New guidelines for the allotment of government quarters to curb encroachment and misuse
- Creation of 31 new posts in the prosecution directorate, including three deputy directors and ten assistant directors
- Revision of pay scales for prosecution officers
- Amendment of recruitment rules in the forensic science directorate
- Approval of 10 new posts in the civil aviation department
- Transfer of veterinary officer posts from the rural development department to the animal husbandry and dairy department
The decisions reflect the state government’s push to improve governance, legal infrastructure, and service delivery across departments, a senior official said.
