Delhi govt plans 'Child Beggar-Free Delhi' drive to protect children begging
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the city government will soon launch a 'Child Beggar-Free Delhi' campaign to protect children found begging at
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the city government will soon launch a 'Child Beggar-Free Delhi' campaign to protect children found begging at public places and major road intersections across the capital. In a video posted on X, she said the campaign would cover all 13 districts and aim to secure a better future for children forced into beggary. Read Full Story Gupta said children would not be removed by force. Instead, the government, along with the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and NGOs, would counsel their families, address their difficulties and provide better alternatives.
She also said the campaign would seek to identify and expose organised gangs that force children into begging. "The campaign will also identify and expose organised gangs forcing children into begging," Gupta said, while asking people to send their comments and suggestions on the campaign. DCPCR Chairman O P Vyas said that after public feedback is considered, the campaign is expected to be launched around Independence Day. Vyas said the issue of child begging has two aspects. "First, we will focus on parents and ensure their counselling so that children are weaned away from begging.
The other is the involvement of organised gangs who force small, homeless and poor children into begging, which will require strict legal action," he said. He added that apart from NGOs, child welfare committees would also play an active role in the campaign. Under the Juvenile Justice Act, child welfare committees are empowered to take decisions on children in need of care and protection, Vyas said. He added that children freed from beggary would need care and protection, and would be supported through education and skill training. According to him, the DCPCR will ensure that younger children are given formal education, while older children are empowered through skill training.
According to estimates by social organisations, Delhi has around 70,000 street children, with thousands engaged in begging at public places, including religious sites, bus and Metro stations, marketplaces and major road intersections. The proposed campaign aims to address both family distress and organised exploitation while providing support to children rescued from beggary. Ends
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