‘Project Jeevanjot’: 18 children rescued from begging

To curb child begging and promote rehabilitation, the Social Security and Child Development Department has launched an intensive awareness and rescue drive under the ‘Project Jeevanjot’ initiative.

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The campaign, which began last week and will continue through the next week, has already led to the rescue of 18 children from begging hotspots across the city.

District Child Protection Officer Rashmi Saini said children willing to pursue education had been admitted to schools and those meeting the eligibility criteria were being supported with scholarships. “Our aim is not only to remove children from streets but also to reintegrate them into mainstream society with dignity and opportunity,” she said.

The drive is being carried out in collaboration with the Education Department, police, Child Helpline teams and other stakeholders. The teams are conducting field visits, counselling sessions and awareness campaigns to discourage the public from giving alms and to encourage reporting of child begging cases.

‘Project Jeevanjot’ is part of a larger state-wide initiative aimed at eradicating child begging, providing rescued children with shelter, education, healthcare and emotional support. Officials urged citizens to support the campaign by refraining from giving money to children and instead contacting the helpline services for intervention.

Lovepreet Singh from the District Child Protection Unit, Manjot Singh and Shilpa Prabhakar from child helpline, Ludihana. Satwinder Singh and Harkamal Singh from the Education Department participated in Tuesday’s drive.