Parents’ Role Under Scrutiny – Legal Action Will Be Taken If Declared Unfit Guardians
Project JEEVANJYOT 2.0 Will Lay the Foundation for ‘Rangla Punjab’: Cabinet Minister
Chandigarh, July 21:
Under the able leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, concrete and ground-level action is being taken across Punjab to eradicate the menace of child begging from its roots. As part of this initiative, the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development today conducted a special state-wide campaign and successfully rescued 47 children who were being forced into begging. This information was shared by Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur.
Providing further details, the Minister stated that District Child Protection Units carried out 31 raids under the ongoing Project JEEVANJYOT campaign. During these operations, the following district-wise rescue data was reported:
Amritsar – 1 child
Barnala – 2 children
Bathinda – 4 children
Ferozepur – 3 children
Fatehgarh Sahib – 2 children
Gurdaspur – 9 children
Fazilka – 1 child
Hoshiarpur – 5 children
Malerkotla – 2 children
Patiala – 9 children
Rupnagar – 2 children
Sri Muktsar Sahib – 7 children
Dr. Baljit Kaur further informed that 30 children were reunited with their parents after document verification, while 17 children, whose parents could not be traced, were placed in Child Care Institutions for proper care and protection.
The Minister added that if the District Child Welfare Committee suspects that a rescued child is a victim of a serious offence requiring legal intervention, actions such as FIR registration and DNA testing may be initiated with the approval of the concerned Deputy Commissioner. She emphasized that such steps are essential to ensure that any suspected abuse or trafficking is dealt with using legal and scientific methods.
Issuing a stern warning, Dr. Baljit Kaur said that if parents are found repeatedly forcing their children into begging, despite counselling and awareness efforts, they may be declared unfit guardians and subjected to strict legal action. If it is proven that any child was being used for begging as part of trafficking or criminal activity, strict action will be taken against those involved.
Highlighting the broader vision, the Cabinet Minister stated that Project JEEVANJYOT 2.0 is not just a rescue initiative but a holistic model for the safety, rehabilitation, and overall development of children. She said the campaign is a crucial step toward realizing the dream of a “Rangla Punjab.”
Dr. Baljit Kaur also appealed to the public to refrain from giving alms to children involved in begging and to immediately report such cases to the Child Helpline at 1098.
