12 children rescued in anti-begging drive

Twelve children were rescued during an anti-begging drive carried out by the administration today, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal informed.

The authorities were acting on the directions of Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Welfare Minister Dr Baljit Kaur. The administration carried out a special drive this evening to combat child begging under the state government’s Project Jeewanjyot 2.0 initiative.

The rescue operation was carried out jointly by District Child Protection Officer Navpreet Kaur and District Programme Officer Nikhil Arora.

Pending verification of their identities and documentation, the rescued children have been shifted to registered Child Care Institutions for proper care and protection.

The DC emphasised that such rescue operations will be conducted regularly to safeguard vulnerable children and uphold their rights.

District Child Protection Officer Navpreet Kaur further highlighted that engaging children in begging was a punishable offence under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The Act provides for the care, protection, rehabilitation, and social reintegration of children in need. Individuals found using or employing children for begging may face imprisonment and/or fines under the law.

Chairman, Child Welfare Committee, Kulwant Singh Guru, added that DNA testing will be recommended to the Deputy Commissioner for final approval in cases where alleged parents fail to furnish valid identification or birth documents of the rescued children.