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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister
Chandigarh, Punjab Minister Baljit Kaur on Friday said that the ongoing drive to rescue child beggars in the state also focuses on their scientific identification, rehabilitation, and long-term integration into society. Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister The Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister informed that the project, launched nine months ago, has now been relaunched in an upgraded and intensified format as Jiwanjyot 2.0. "The revamped project includes social investigation reports, DNA testing, psychological counselling, and strict legal follow-up," she said here. In the last week alone, around 170 child beggars were rescued from various locations across the state. Kaur highlighted that 125 coordinated rescue raids were conducted in major cities, resulting in the rescue of these children. Among them, 80 children were identified and reunited with their parents after thorough verification and counselling to ensure they are not coerced back into begging. However, 88 children whose parents or guardians could not be traced were placed in secure, government-run childcare institutions where they would receive nutrition, education, emotional support, and medical assistance in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act. Kaur also mentioned that 25 social investigation reports have been prepared to better understand the backgrounds, vulnerabilities, and needs of the rescued children. In the case of 16 children, their DNA identification is being undertaken. 13 samples have been collected and sent to authorised labs for parentage confirmation. Among the rescued children, 10 are from other states, and the minister assured that necessary coordination is underway to facilitate their safe repatriation in consultation with the relevant state governments. "Project Jiwanjot is not just about pulling children off the streets; it's about rebuilding their futures," Kaur stated, adding that many of these children have now been admitted to schools and linked with welfare schemes, and follow-up monitoring is underway. Issuing a stern warning to parents or guardians found forcing children into begging, Kaur asserted that such individuals will be declared "unfit guardians" under the law, and legal action will be initiated. She also reiterated the government's firm stance against organised gangs or traffickers exploiting minors, promising strict police action under relevant IPC provisions. To address the issue holistically, Kaur announced that the Punjab Government will soon establish Aasra Centres for adult beggars in major cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Bathinda. These centres will provide shelter, counselling and skill training to ensure adult beggars are not forced to push children into street begging. Kaur appealed to the public to call the Child Helpline if they see a child begging anywhere in Punjab, noting that timely reporting can change a child's life. Recently, the state government directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests for children found begging alongside adults on the streets to verify their relationships and address the issue of child begging. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister
Chandigarh, In a special operation, 20 child beggars were rescued across Punjab on Wednesday, taking the number of children saved in the last one week to 169, state Minister for Social Security and Women & Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur said. 169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister She said the state government continues to take strong steps to ensure child rights and protection. "As part of the Jiwanjyot 2.0 project, 20 child beggars were rescued in a special drive carried out across 15 districts in Punjab on Wednesday. With today's action, the total number of children rescued within last seven days has reached 169," Kaur said in a statement. Sharing more details, Kaur stated that the District Child Protection Units of the social security department conducted special drives at 29 locations across Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, and Rupnagar. Similar operations were also conducted in Sangrur, SAS Nagar , Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran districts. Due to strict enforcement of the campaign, several locations reported zero child beggars, which is an encouraging sign, she said. "Out of the 20 children rescued on Wednesday, nine whose identity could be verified were reunited with their families. Six were placed in designated child care institutions for rehabilitation," Kaur said. Documentation for the remaining five children is currently under verification, she added. "No FIRs were registered in today's cases, nor was there any immediate requirement for DNA testing. However, if required, DNA testing will be conducted based on the outcome of documentation verification," the minister said. She stated that the government is not only focused on eradicating child begging but is equally committed to providing quality education to the rescued children and integrating them to the mainstream. She further directed the DCPUs to take strict legal action against parents or guardians who ignore repeated warnings and force their children to beg. The Punjab government had recently directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests of child beggars and adults on the streets to establish their relationship. The move was intended to check child-trafficking and exploitation. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
5 days ago
- News18
169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister
Chandigarh, July 23 (PTI) In a special operation, 20 child beggars were rescued across Punjab on Wednesday, taking the number of children saved in the last one week to 169, state Minister for Social Security and Women & Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur said. She said the state government continues to take strong steps to ensure child rights and protection. 'As part of the Jiwanjyot 2.0 project, 20 child beggars were rescued in a special drive carried out across 15 districts in Punjab on Wednesday. With today's action, the total number of children rescued within last seven days has reached 169," Kaur said in a statement. Sharing more details, Kaur stated that the District Child Protection Units (DCPU) of the social security department conducted special drives at 29 locations across Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, and Rupnagar. Similar operations were also conducted in Sangrur, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran districts. Due to strict enforcement of the campaign, several locations reported zero child beggars, which is an encouraging sign, she said. 'Out of the 20 children rescued on Wednesday, nine whose identity could be verified were reunited with their families. Six were placed in designated child care institutions for rehabilitation," Kaur said. Documentation for the remaining five children is currently under verification, she added. 'No FIRs were registered in today's cases, nor was there any immediate requirement for DNA testing. However, if required, DNA testing will be conducted based on the outcome of documentation verification," the minister said. She stated that the government is not only focused on eradicating child begging but is equally committed to providing quality education to the rescued children and integrating them to the mainstream. She further directed the DCPUs to take strict legal action against parents or guardians who ignore repeated warnings and force their children to beg. The Punjab government had recently directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests of child beggars and adults on the streets to establish their relationship. The move was intended to check child-trafficking and exploitation. PTI CHS RUK RUK view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
