Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Delhi government has started a new initiative to rescue child beggars. Dial 1098 next time you see a child begging and you could help rescue him or her.
"Earlier a child beggar was a criminal. Now, a child beggar is a child in need of help. The perspective has changed completely," says Chairperson Child Welfare Committee, Dr Bharti Sharma.
On getting a call, the Beggar Squad will come and pick up the child and take him to the Child Welfare Committee. The child is then counseled and in some cases sent into rehabilitation.
"We send the child with the parents and if possible, we keep the child under supervision of an NGO which sees to it that the child doesn't get back to begging," says Dr Sharma.
The Board will however, use persuasion more than force, for the law is in favour of a child staying with its parents. The helpline will be manned by NGO workers spread over five zones and it's a tough ask as there are around 60,000 beggars in Delhi, a majority of them children.
"We need vehicles as we don't have enough and also manpower, because manpower is needed to rescue the children from different places," says member of the NGO, Rajat Mandal.
The government will soon be releasing advertisements and jingles to popularise the campaign. Despite all its drawbacks, if the campaign does prove to be effective then many child beggars will soon be off the streets.
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