ChatGPT said:
With a strong commitment to ensuring that no child in Punjab lives on the streets, begs for survival, or faces exploitation, the Punjab Govt led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has rescued 208 children so far under its ongoing initiative, Project JEEVANJYOT-2.
In the latest state-level operation, 20 special checks and raids were carried out, resulting in the rescue of 5 more children and their subsequent rehabilitation.
Sharing the update, Dr. Baljit Kaur, Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, said that Project JEEVANJYOT is focused on transitioning street children into education and child protection systems.
Special operations were conducted in Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, and Jalandhar, along with additional checks in Kapurthala, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, SAS Nagar, SBS Nagar, Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran.
One child each was rescued from Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, and Sri Muktsar Sahib.
According to Dr. Kaur, in three of the cases, after proper counseling and document verification, the children were reunited with their parents, who were strictly warned not to repeat such neglect or exploitation. The other two children have been placed in safe child care institutions.
She emphasized that repeat violations by parents will attract strict legal consequences.
No cases requiring DNA testing arose in the day’s operations. Dr. Kaur also appreciated the swift and compassionate response of district Child Protection Teams and District Child Welfare Committees.
She appealed to citizens to join hands with the government in building a ‘Rangla Punjab’ free of child begging.
“If you see a child begging, immediately call Child Helpline 1098 or inform the local authorities,” she urged.