As many as 18 children, including two girls below the age of 14, were rescued over the past couple of days in the city by a special task force dedicated to dealing with such cases, officials announced on Sunday.
The task force, formed by Deputy Commissioner (Jammu) Avny Lavasa, was established to address the issue of Children in Street Situation (CISS) and conduct rescue operations in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The task force comprises members from various organizations, including the senior superintendent of police, chief medical officer, district child protection officer, assistant labour commissioner, the NGO Kitaab aur Kalam Foundation, and Childline (Jammu).
“We have rescued 18 children, including two girls, below the age of 14 years, from different hotspot areas in the city over the past couple of days. The children were then produced before the Child Welfare Committee for their proper rehabilitation,” stated Arti Choudhary, Protection Officer of the Social Welfare department’s Mission Vatsalya.
Choudhary further revealed that the operation was initiated in busy marketplaces, outside religious sites, traffic signals, and posh localities, such as Gandhi Nagar, Vikram Chowk, and Bohu Plaza, immediately after the joint task force was established. The focus remained on children who were forced to beg, work as rag pickers, sell articles, or engage in labor work at construction sites.
“Children are the future of our nation, and we have to end this disease to protect their childhood. After rescuing a child, verification is done to know whether he or she is from within or outside Jammu and Kashmir, and a rehabilitation plan is chalked out accordingly,” Choudhary explained.
The rescued children have been admitted to child care institutions where they have access to proper diet, counseling, and medical care. Since most of the rescued children are from Rajasthan, efforts are underway to establish contact with the authorities concerned to ensure they are linked to government schemes for their proper rehabilitation in their home districts.
Furthermore, the rescued children will be enrolled in Anganwadi centers or schools, and their information will be uploaded in the CISS portal to prevent them from being drawn back into begging or labor.
In her order, Deputy Commissioner Avny Lavasa emphasized that the inspection-cum-rescue drive will be conducted every fortnight. “The task force shall adopt standard operating procedures suggested by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for restoration of rescued children,” Lavasa stated.
All rescued children will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee, which will issue appropriate orders for their rehabilitation, including family counseling and enrollment in nearby schools or vocational centers. The mission of the task force is to ensure a better future for these children and protect their rights.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
