The infamous and the obscure lead child's panel

NO CHILD'S PLAY: PMO wants to know if the appointed have had anything to do with child welfare in the past.

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New Delhi: The National Children's Commission may soon have among its members, Sunil Gupta, a man accused of smuggling and evading custom and excise duties worth crores of rupees. He is currently on the run and is wanted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

Not just that, already on board are petty politicians who have nothing to do with child welfare and the Prime Minister's Office is getting concerned over these developments.

Gupta's name set the alarm bells ringing in the Prime Minister's Office earlier this month when his name was pushed as a member of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.

If appointed, Gupta would have had the status of a secretary in the Government of India.

The Commission established almost two years back by an act of Parliament is one of the most powerful commissions in the establishment. Its chairperson in official protocol is equivalent to a cabinet secretary.

At the moment, four posts in the seven-member commission are vacant.

Concerned by Gupta's case, the PMO is now taking a long hard look at the antecedents of those who are already occupying key posts in the commission.

The incumbent chairperson, Shantha Sinha is a Magasasay Award winner for anti-child labour work and is beyond reproach, but among the other members is Sandhya Bajan — a little-known Congress leader from Haryana — and Dipa Dixit — a lawyer with degrees in international and corporate law.

PMO wants to find out whether those given the mandate to protect the rights of children have had anything to do with child welfare in the past or not, or whether this Commission become just another institution to dole out political favours.