Ambala, December 17
Ambala Deputy Commissioner Sharandeep Kaur inaugurated a child help desk at the Ambala Cantonment railway station here today.
It has been opened on platform number 1 at the railway station. The project is being run under the District Child Welfare Council, Ambala. Though the desk was formally inaugurated today, it started rescuing children from August 30. So far, it has rescued 78 children. Out of this, 65 children have been reunited with their respective families.
Being a junction, a large number of missing and homeless children are rescued in Ambala every year.
The help desk has a staff of 10 people. Besides the Ambala Cantonment railway station, it will also cover Dukheri, Kesri, Ambala City, Barara, and Dhulkot stations.
While speaking on the occasion, Sharandeep Kaur said: “It’s the first-of-its-kind project under which homeless, abandoned and missing children will be rescued. Through the District Child Welfare Committee, efforts will be made to trace the families of those children so that they can be sent back to their respective homes.”
Director Ambala Cantonment Railway Station BS Gill, District Child Welfare Officer Milan Pandit and Help Desk coordinator Rakesh were also present on this occasion.
Later in the day, the Deputy Commissioner visited a shelter home in Ambala Cantonment and distributed woollen clothes among children there. The children presented a cultural programme and also participated in a painting competition. The winners were awarded by the DC. — TNS