Thane: The Thane Municipal Commissioner started the 'Child Safety Awareness Week' at the Narendra Ballal Auditorium on the occasion of Children's Day. This awareness event was organized in association with the Thane Municipal Corporation, Thane Transport Service, District Women and Child Development Officer's Office, and Arpan, a charitable organization.

Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the Thane District Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), is collaborating with Arpan, the nation’s largest NGO focused on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) prevention, and supporting Arpan’s large-scale public awareness campaign aimed directly at child sexual offenders.

This campaign, called "ProtectedByPOCSO" carries a powerful and clear message: Child Sexual Abuse is a punishable offense – Stop Right Now or Get Caught!

At the event, 10 buses fully branded with "ProtectedByPOCSO" campaign messages were unveiled. Additionally, 600 buses carrying #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign messages inside the bus are now operational across Thane.

These branded buses operate on major routes, with campaign messages visible at transit points and high-traffic areas, reinforcing the campaign’s message to daily commuters and delivering a clear warning to offenders.

The campaign also seeks to educate the public on what constitutes CSA, emphasizing that it is neither acceptable nor tolerable. By creating widespread awareness of CSA laws and protections, Arpan aims to deter offenders from continuing these crimes, ensuring they understand that they will be held accountable.

The civic official said that approximately 40,000 students are studying in the municipal schools across Thane. They have responsibilities for their safety, and hence an awareness campaign is very important.

The event was attended by Saurabh Rao, Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation; Ashok Shingare, Collector of Thane; Rohan Ghuge, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad Thane; Suvarnatai Pawar, Divisional Deputy Commissioner of Konkan Division, Mumbai; Prashant Rode, Additional Commissioner of TMC; Balchandra Behre, Transport Manager of Transport Department Thane Municipal Corporation; Lalita Dahitule, Education Officer of Zilla Parishad Thane; Ishwar Suryavanshi, Secretary from Legal Services Authority Thane; Mahendra Gaikwad, District Women and Child Development Department, Thane; and Ramakrishna Reddy, District Child Protection Officer, Thane.

“We are proud to have joined forces with Arpan to drive the #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign across Thane,” said Mr. Saurabh Rao, Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation. “This collaboration reminds our citizens of the protections in place for children under the POCSO Act, making it clear that offenders will face strict legal action if they abuse children. Together, we are aiming to make Thane a safer place for children.”

Mahendra Gaikwad, representing the Thane District DWCD, added, “Through the Saksham Balak Abhiyan, we have been working closely with Arpan and conducting training sessions with 4000+ teachers across Thane focusing on Child Protection and Child Sexual Abuse prevention to create a safe environment for children. We are happy to join Arpan’s 'ProtectedByPOCSO' campaign targeted at the offenders of Child Sexual Abuse and take our collaboration to the next level. Through this powerful campaign, we are sending out a strong warning to offenders across the district that they are being watched and that we are united in protecting our children.”

“Our partnership with TMC and DWCD enables us to take a step towards creating safe public spaces for children,” said Pooja Taparia, Founder and CEO of Arpan. “Through this collaboration, the 'ProtectedByPOCSO' campaign will reach lakhs of commuters. It sends a bold message to offenders that we are united in our fight to protect children and the entire community is watching them and warning them of the severe legal consequences they can face under the POCSO Act for this heinous crime."