BENGALURU: Child Helpline number 1098 or Childline Bangalore, received as many as three crore calls in the last three years. In Bengaluru, the line receives 100 calls daily, with most calls regarding child beggary.
Bengaluru Nodal Officer for Childline 1098, G Nagasimha Rao, says they receive calls on cases related to corporal punishment, violation of POCSO, cases related to RTE and more, however, it is cases of child beggary that tops the list. “Cases of child labour are the second most frequent cases that are reported.”
However, he adds, even if child beggars are rescued, it is hard to prevent them from going back to begging again. "We might rescue such children, present them before the Child Welfare Committee and then rehabilitate them, but there is a huge possibility that they will go back to begging.
The reason for this is the lack of rescue homes," he says. Two years ago, Childline and the police launched a joint operation to rescue several child beggars in the city. Many were rescued, but there was no place to keep them. "We sent some back to their parents, but after a few months, we found them back on the streets," adds Nagasimha. There are also cases of child labour and stress and depression during exams.