Under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is taking decisive and impactful measures to protect child rights. As part of its flagship initiative Project JIWANJYOT 2.0, 20 child beggars were rescued today in coordinated operations across 15 districts. With these latest efforts, the total number of children rescued in just seven days has reached 169, according to Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur.
Providing further insight, Dr. Kaur explained that the District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) of the Social Security Department carried out special drives at 29 locations in districts including Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, and Rupnagar. Additional operations took place in Sangrur, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran.
She noted that the strict on-ground implementation of the campaign has led to promising results, with some areas reporting zero instances of child begging — a positive indication of the campaign’s success.
Of the 20 children rescued today, 9 have been safely reunited with their families following identity verification, while 6 have been placed in Child Care Institutions for further protection and rehabilitation. Documentation for the remaining 5 is currently under review.
Dr. Kaur mentioned that no FIRs were filed in these cases today, and DNA testing was not deemed necessary at this stage, though it may be conducted later if required during the verification process.
Highlighting the campaign’s broader goal, she stated, “The Punjab Government is committed not just to ending child begging, but to ensuring every rescued child receives access to quality education and a dignified future in mainstream society.”
She also instructed the DCPUs to take legal action against any guardians who continue to push children into begging despite repeated warnings.
Dr. Baljit Kaur concluded by appealing to the public to join the government’s mission to eradicate child begging and encouraged citizens to report any such incidents by calling the Child Helpline at 1098.