Lok Sabha Question No. 3228 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Child Beggars
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Geeta Kora, Vishnu Dutt Sharma, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dileshwar Kamait

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION N0.3228 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2021

## CHILD BEGGARS

+3228. SHRIMATI GEETA KORA: SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA: SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA: SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the incidents of small children begging on many busy roads/ footpaths in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the efforts being made by the Government to improve of the standard of these children; and
- (c) the funds allocated to the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working for helpless women and children during the last five years, State/Organisation-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

- (a): As per Census 2011, the total number of Beggars, Vagrants etc. in India are 4,13,670 and the total number of child Beggars, Vagrants etc, below 15 years of age are 45,296.
- (b): As per entry no. 9 of State List in the 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India, the subject matter of "Relief of the disabled and unemployable" is a State subject. The States are responsible for necessary preventive and rehabilitative steps However; Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has identified ten cities namely Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur  and Patna   for undertaking pilot  project on Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons engaged in the act of Begging, which will provide the whole range of services including awareness generation, identification; rehabilitation; provision and  education to children engaged in Begging/ Children of Persons engaged in Begging: taking

(c): Ministry of Women and Child Development administers The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act; 2015 (JJ Act) which is the primary law for children in the country.

As per Section 2 (14) (ii) of the JJ Act.2015, a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force Or is found begging, or on the street is included as a ~child in need of care and protection" among others As per Section 76 of' JJ Act; whoever employs or uses any child for the purpose of begging or causes any child to shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine of one lakh rupees The Act provides a security net of service delivery structures with measures for institutional and non-institutional care, to ensure comprehensive well being of children in Act rests  with the States/UTs. living beg along

Ministry of Women and Child Development implements a centrally sponsored scheme i.e. Child Protection Services (CPS) under the umbrella Integrated Child Development Services scheme, for   supporting the children in  difficult   circumstances  including  child beggars and destitute children: Under the scheme, institutional care is provided through Child Care Institutions (CCIs), as a   rehabilitative measure. The programmes and activities  in CCIs   inter-alia   include ageappropriate education, access to vocational training; recreation, health care, counseling etc. The scheme supports 24x7 emergency outreach/ helpline service for children in distress conditions. The service is accessible through a dedicated toll free number; 1098 from any where in India.

The scheme inter-alia provided financial  assistance for setting up of CCIs to the States/UTs either by themselves or in association with voluntary organisations The details of fund released to States/UTs under CPS during last five years are Annexed.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 3228 for answer on 16.03.2021 reqarding \_'Child Beggars\_

## 2015-16 to 201920)to the\_StatesIUTs\_under CPS

| SI. N 0   | Name of the Statel UT    | 2015-16   | 2016-17      | 2017-18   | 2018-19       | 2019-20   |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------|--------------|-----------|---------------|-----------|
|           | Andhra Pradesh           | 238.581   | 110.74       | 1469.88   | 1870.01       | 1373.53   |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh        | 571.68    | 52.29        | 643.71    | 37.63         | 1174.11   |
| 3         | Assam                    | 597.90    |              | 2932.68   | 3379.63       | 3363.951  |
| 4         | Bihar                    | 2687.89   | 2787.92      | 541.56    | 2621.87       | 1405.39   |
| 5         | Chattisgarh              | 3955.55   | 527.77       | 3181.97   | 2151.01       | 2098.74/  |
| 6         | Goa                      | 235.25    | 36.83        | 728.53    | 16.03         | 19.63     |
| 7         | Gujarat                  | 2328.90   | 769.951      |           |               | 2146.27   |
| 8         | Haryana                  |           | 0.00         | 1858.22   | 1387.60_      | 2217.99   |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh         | 604.041   |              | 1835.01   | 1342.64       | 1607..40  |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir          | 113.35    |              | 807.481   | 2106.94       | 1225.16   |
| 11        | Jharkhand                | 369.88/   |              | 1714.57   | 1480.261      | 1845.80   |
| 12        | Karnataka                | 1845.24   | 3720.80      | 3272.451  | 4022.56l      | 3290.45   |
| 13        | Kerala                   | 944.39    | 260.50       |           | 1263.77       | 1519.74   |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh           | 1116.03   | 2503.881     | 3262.77   | 2959.23       | 3052.72   |
| 15        | Maharashtra              |           | 2272.33      | 608.15    | 3156.52       | 2449.63   |
| 16        | Manipur                  | 3082.18   | 241.34       | 1886.33   | 3866.99       | 3102.72   |
| 17        | Meghalaya                | 1469.551  | 2060.33      | 1846.60   | 2254.51       | 2241.71   |
| 18        | Mizoram                  | 2079.44   |              | 1917.51   |               | 2530.43   |
| 19        | Nagaland                 | 2257.651  | 1350.37      |           |               |           |
| 20        | Orissa                   | 3309.07   | 1089.22      | 2599.30   |               | 3541.661  |
| 21        | Punjab                   | 820.81    | 581.67       | 143.24    | 1244.171      | 722.00    |
| 22        | Rajasthan                | 3258.92   | 0.00         | 4752.30   | 3584.72| | 3195.88   |
| 23        | Sikkim                   | 562.00    | 601.18       | 662.76    | 379.251       | 662.51    |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu               | 825.04    | 13039.37     | 2013.12/  |               |           |
| 25        | Telangana                |           | 195.64       | 894.82    | 1329.23       | 1726.38   |
| 26        | Tripura                  | 710.63    |              | 446.81    | 885.77        |           |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh            | 2884.18   | 3207.19      | 1830.67   | 7834.39       | 4277.72   |
| 28        | Uttarakhand              | 66.881    |              | 907.57    | 1344.40       | 918.58    |
| 29        | West Bengal              | 508.67    | 6763.87      | 5073.56l  | 2372.13       | 2815.10   |
| 30        | Andaman & Nicobar Island |           | 36.88        |           | 218.85        |           |
| 31        | [Chandigarh_             | 357.82    | 245.44       | 194.32    | 577.58        | 0.00      |
| 32        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli     | 58.661    | 177.59       | 24.82     |               | 193.97    |
| 32        | Daman & Diu              |           | 126.42| | 21.89     | 18.42         | 141.79    |
| 33        | Delhi                    | 1363.40   |              |           | 1007.39       | 972.86    |
| 34        | Lakshadweep              |           | 0.001        | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.00      |
| 35        | Ladakh                   |           |              |           |               |           |
| 36        | Puducherry_              | 559.60    | 826.33       |           | 398.43        | 501.961   |
| Total     |                          | 43892.10  | 50847.97     | 52469.95  |               |           |