Srinagar’s anti-begging campaign saves 15 kids

Srinagar, June 12: On Monday, authorities in Srinagar district conducted an anti-begging raid, during which they rescued at least 15 youngsters. The Labour Department, the Police Department, and the Child Protection Welfare Team all participated in launching the initiative throughout the Srinagar area.
Officials claim that begging was discovered among youngsters as young as eight years old during the drive in the Rajbagh, Hyderpora, and Parimpora neighbourhoods.
Begging was found to be practised by both natives and visitors, with some parents even exposing their children to it.
Other parts of Jammu and Kashmir have also participated in similar efforts. An anti-begging effort has been initiated in the Srinagar district neighbourhoods of Parimpora, Lalchowk, and Rajbagh, according to Harvinder Kour, Director, Mission Vatsalya J&K, according to Greater Kashmir.
She added that at least 15 kids were saved and that 12 of them were returned to their families after receiving therapy. Three kids have been sent to Shalimar and Nowgam shelters.
Only one girl was among the group of 15 kids who were sent to Nowgam’s shelter. The organisation “provides them with food and shelter and even registers them in the schools as well until these children reach the age of 18,” she said.She said that the department had approached the parents of an additional 12 youngsters about enrolling them in school. They have promised not to let their children beg on the streets again, she said.
Kaur said that their office has documented the presence of over 280 youngsters living on the streets throughout the whole Union Territory.
More anti-begging campaigns will be launched to prevent these kids from having to resort to begging. We recently held a similar campaign in Jammu, where 20 youngsters were added to our database. We’ve requested that the parents of these kids up to age six enrol them at an anganwadi so they may get poshan. Or else they’ll be automatically enrolled in the schools,” she warned.
The government has provided instructions to the Directorate of Mission Vatsalya for the registration and rehabilitation of street children. The Ministry of Women and Child Development in India has created a programme called Mission Vatsalya with the stated goal of creating a “protective environment for children.”
The Social Welfare Department in J&K runs the programme with the help of the J&K State Child Protection Society. District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) coordinate Mission Vatsalya at the county level with help from Child Welfare Councils (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs).
The government of Jammu and Kashmir has been working on a comprehensive strategy for rehabilitating children living on the streets (CISS) since last year. The primary goal of the proposed policy is to identify children living on the streets and provide them with appropriate rehabilitation services, as stated in the accompanying policy analysis.
The proposal suggests rehabilitating these minors in accordance with the Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme of 2016. Specifically, it specified, “A sum of Rs 25000 to be reimbursed to the child in accordance with the provided law,” with Rs 5,000 coming from the District Kid Rehabilitation Fund and Rs 20,000 coming from the employer.