NGOs should be brought on board to make city free of child begging, says Delhi CM

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday directed the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to step up efforts to make the city free of child begging, stressing the need for public participation in the campaign.

Chairing a meeting of the commission, Gupta said that the government’s priority was to bring children out of begging and ensure they have access to education, skill development and a dignified life.

She said non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs) and resident welfare associations (RWAs) should be brought on board to expand the campaign’s reach to children at the local level. The meeting was attended by DCPCR chairman OP Vyas, members of the commission and senior officials.

Prioritising child safety, Gupta suggested that awareness campaigns on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should be made a continuous activity. She stressed the need to ensure mandatory police verification of school staff as well as school bus and van drivers, attendants and sanitation workers, so that there was no scope for negligence at any level when it came to children’s safety.

She also directed that detailed information on the future of children living in child care institutions (CCIs) be prepared. The commission was asked to make a list of children living in after-care facilities, including details such as the child’s name, age, institution, duration of stay, education and qualifications, and skills acquired, she said.

The CM suggested promoting career guidance arrangements for students in government and municipal schools.