NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will soon launch a ‘Child Beggar-Free Delhi’ campaign to protect children found begging at public places and major road intersections in the city. In a video posted on X on Saturday, CM Rekha Gupta said the campaign will be conducted across 13 districts of the capital to provide a secure future to children forced into beggary.
Instead of moving the children by force, the government, along with the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and NGOs, will counsel their families, address their difficulties and provide better alternatives, Gupta said.
The campaign will also identify and expose organised gangs forcing children into begging, she said, asking people to provide their comments and suggestions on the campaign. After considering the feedback from the public, the campaign is expected to be launched around Independence Day.
There are two aspects to the child beggar issue, she said. First, the government will focus on parents and ensure their counselling, so that children are weaned away from begging. The other is the involvement of organised gangs who force small, homeless and poor children into begging, which will require strict legal action. Besides NGOs, child welfare committees will also be actively engaged in the campaign.