Maharashtra govt to re-launch drive to rescue child beggars in Mumbai

The Maharashtra government has decided to re-launch its drive to rescue child beggars in the metropolis, in order to curb this practice and rehabilitate these children.

The women and child welfare department in collaboration with the home department and help of NGOs, will rescue child beggars from roads, slums, religious places and send to remand homes for further rehabilitation.

"We want these children to get education, food and care. They are forced into the begging and the government is trying to rehabilitate them like other children," minister for women and child welfare, Varsha Gaikwad said.

The same drive was launched successfully two years back by home minister RR Patil which gave good results.

Some children, who came from other states were also sent back to their parents but the drive stopped after an alleged detention of a school-going boy and the flak it attracted for forcefully sending children into remand homes.

Admitting the problem is a complex, the minister said that preventing children from begging is the initial step to deal with it.

"In later stages related causes like poverty,unemployment of parents, having more siblings can be tackled. The children are taught to beg at early age which affects their future. They get into bad company to fulfil their money needs. Its horrible that they get involved in crime. At least in remand homes, they would be monitored by authorities," Gaikwad said.

The minister also sought public participation in the drive to rehabilitate the children. The common people willing to help these children can provide some assistance even at the remand homes, so that the process of rehabilitation would be supervised, she said.

There are over 4,000 child beggars in Mumbai while over 200 children were rescued during the first drive two years ago. The government has 46 remand homes with a capacity of more than 4,000 children.