State Child Rights Commission aims to eliminate child beggary in Punjab

Chandigarh: The Punjab State Child Rights Commission has formulated an extensive action plan to eliminate child beggary in Punjab.

“Detailed guidelines have also been issued to all the deputy commissioners of the state to ensure compliance to the Commission’s directive under Section 76 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015”, read a written statement issued by DPR Punjab.

“In a communiqué issued to all the deputy commissioners Sukesh Kalia Chairman directed them to put all the prominent places and public places under constant surveillance so that the actual mastermind or a gang behind child begging could be nabbed and given severe punishments” reads the statement.

Child Beggery [File Photo]

Sukesh Kalia also said that a special district level task force was being constituted to ensure forceful implementation of the action plan formulated by the Commission which will give its report to the Commission after every three months.

“Meanwhile, Mr. Kalia has suggested creating Special Police Teams at Divisional levels to carry out drives to rescue Child Beggars prevalent in different parts of the state. He has also written to the private and government Child Care Homes to provide shelter, health care facilities etc. to the rescued children. He also said that once the children are freed from the clutches of the gangs, they should be imparted vocational training depending upon their age so as to ensure dignified livelihood to them, said Mr. Kalia. The children who are interested in pursuing their academic activities, could be admitted in schools under Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan, suggested the Chairman”, reads the statement.

Adding further, Sukesh Kalia said that the Punjab government was already in the process of tracking and connecting the missing child beggars with their families all across the country. He also said that a special campaign would be launched to identify the women beggars with small infants to ascertain that they are the biological mothers to those children.