BHOPAL: In the wake of a recent incident of a city boy going missing, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has issued directives to officers to intensify drive to trace missing children in the state.
The directives assumes significance in the light of missing of fifth-standard student Nishant Jhope from Saket Nagar here who disappeared near his school about a week ago.
"Chief minister has issued strict directives to officers to further intensify drive to trace missing children in the state," a Public Relation department official said today.
Chouhan has directed to streamline security arrangement for children and ensure concrete measures in right earnest to check incidents of disappearance of children.
The chief minister chaired a meeting in this regard yesterday at Mantralaya which was attended by Chief Secretary Antony DeSa and DGP Surendra Singh and others.
Chouhan has directed authorities concerned to keep an eye on suspicious persons at the railway stations, bus stands and that the police should be alert at every level.
Beside directing to intensify the drive, the CM also directed to ascertain whether some organised gang is working behind these cases in the state, the official said.
Chouhan categorically said Supreme Court orders in this regard should be followed and also emphasised that better implementation of Juvenile Justice Act should be ensured.
Chief secretary and DGP informed in the meeting that the police is conducting drive to trace missing children in right earnest.
They informed that most of the missing children, about 92 per cent have been traced. And to trace the remaining missing children, intensive drive 'Operation Muskan' has been undertaken, the official said.
The process has been intensified by contacting family members of missing children and collecting information from them.
For the purpose, a control room has also been set up at CID office. Besides, child helpline is operational in 24 districts of the state and will be expanded to other istricts, the official added.