Delhi Police Map 2,500 Child Beggars for Upcoming Rehabilitation Drive
The Delhi Police mapped approximately 2,500 children found begging at public places and major road intersections across Delhi, with the survey finding that most of the children were located in West Delhi. The data collection drive was undertaken to support the Delhi government’s soon to be launched ‘Child Beggar-Free Delhi’ campaign, which aims to rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable children.
The survey was conducted by the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) from July 1 to July 31 as part of ‘Child Safety Month’. The upcoming rehabilitation campaign will be implemented across all 13 districts of the capital.
Speaking on the drive, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SPUWAC) Neha Yadav said the survey focused exclusively on children who were completely shelterless. This group included children living on the streets or under flyovers without even a jhuggi to stay in.
DCP Yadav stated that the latitude and longitude coordinates of the children, along with their photographs, will be shared with the Department of Women and Child Development and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to help initiate the ‘Child Beggar-Free Delhi’ campaign.
The proposed campaign aims to address both the homelessness of children and their vulnerability to crimes such as snatching and working as couriers for drug peddlers. DCP Yadav stated that taking these children in another direction and providing them with shelter and education could also help control these crimes to an extent.
On Saturday, August 8, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government, in coordination with the DCPCR and non-governmental organisations, would counsel families, understand their difficulties, and provide better alternatives for such children rather than forcibly removing them from the streets.
Gupta added that the drive will also seek to identify and prosecute organised gangs allegedly forcing children into begging, while ensuring that the children receive necessary support to secure their future.
