Centre to provide funds for rehabilitation of trafficked girls

 NEW DELHI: The Union Government will help build infrastructure to combat child trafficking in the border areas. The victim girls will be produced before the CWC (Child Welfare Committee) to declare fit facilities for providing sponsorship as per the Mission Vatsalya Scheme guideline, and accordingly, the States and UTs will be requested to do the needful.

These homes would provide shelter, food, clothing, counselling, primary health facilities, and other daily needs for the trafficking victims, most of whom are children and minors. India is a source as well as a destination country for the trafficking of people. The source countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, from where women and girls are getting trafficked in the guise of proving a better life, jobs, and a good living condition in India. A majority of them are minor girls or women of younger age who, after their arrival in India, are sold and forced into commercial sex work. These girls and women often reach major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc., from where they are taken out of the country, mainly to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

This is the reason why the bordering States of these countries need to be more vigilant and have adequate facilities to provide relief and rehabilitation services to the victims of trafficking.

The government has provided funding to all states and UTs under the Nirbhaya Fund to set up or strengthen anti-human trafficking units (AHTUS) in every district of the country. In addition, funding has also been provided for AHTUS in Border Guarding Forces such as the BSF and SSB. As of date, 788 AHTUS, including 30 in Border guard forces, are functional. Now, the Government has decided to provide financial assistance to the states and UTs in Border areas to set up Protection and Rehabilitation Homes for the victims of trafficking, particularly minor girls and young women. The homes will provide services like shelter, food, clothing, counselling, primary health facilities, and other daily requirements.

Further, as per Section 51 of the JJ Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), (1) the Board or the Committee recognise a facility being run by a Governmental organisation or a voluntary or non-governmental organisation registered under any law for the time being in force to be fit to temporarily take the responsibility of a child for a specific purpose after a due inquiry regarding the suitability of the facility and the organisation to take care of the child in such manner as may be prescribed, and (2) the Board or the Committee may withdraw the recognition under Sub-section (1) for reasons to be recorded in writing. (ANI)

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