Lok Sabha Question No. 2593 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-06
Subject: Child Welfare Committees
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2593 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2020

## CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEES

2593. SHRI RAJU BISTA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that no Child Welfare Committee and District Child Protection Officer have been appointed in Darjeeling district since 2017;
- (b) whether the Government has maintained any data on number of women and children trafficked from the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and North Dinajpur and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to keep a check on international human trafficking given that Darjeeling constituency shares four international borders?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a):  As  per  information  provided  by  the  State  Govt.  of  West  Bengal,  Child  Welfare Committee (CWC) is not in place in Darjeeling. However, CWC, Jalpaiguri is holding the charge of Darjeeling district too. The District Child Protection Officer has been appointed in Darjeeling district.
- (b):  As per information provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), details are as under:

| Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   | Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                            | Name of the District                                                                              | Total Children Trafficked cases                                                                   | Total Children Trafficked cases                                                                   | Male Adults Trafficked cases                                                                      | Male Adults Trafficked cases                                                                      | Female Adults Trafficked cases                                                                    | Female Adults Trafficked cases                                                                    | Total Human Trafficked cases                                                                      | Total Human Trafficked cases                                                                      |
|                                                                                                   |                                                                                                   | 2017                                                                                              | 2018                                                                                              | 2017                                                                                              | 2018                                                                                              | 2017                                                                                              | 2018                                                                                              | 2017                                                                                              | 2018                                                                                              |
| 1                                                                                                 | Alipurduar                                                                                        | 8                                                                                                 | 2                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 9                                                                                                 | 2                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                 | Darjeeling                                                                                        | 11                                                                                                | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 11                                                                                                | 0                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                 | Uttar Dinajpur                                                                                    | 9                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                 | 2                                                                                                 | 10                                                                                                | 3                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                 | Kalimpong                                                                                         | 0                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                 |

Source  : Annual  Anti  Human  Trafficking  Data  received  from  AHT  Units  of  State/UT published in Crimen India-2017 & 2018.

(c): As per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 'Police' is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and as such prevention of the crime of human trafficking is the responsibility of State Governments. However, the MHA has been supplementing the efforts  of  the  State  Governments  by  taking  various  initiatives  and  measures.  MHA  has provided financial assistance to  all  States  for setting up Anti Human Trafficking Units and 332 Anti Human Trafficking Units have been set up in various Districts of the States. Government has approved a  scheme for setting up/strengthening Anti Human Trafficking  Units in all districts of States/UTs under Nirbhaya Fund. MHA also provides financial assistance to the States  and  Judicial  Academies  in States  to  hold  'Judicial  Colloquiums'  and  'State  level conference'  to  sensitize  police  officials,  judicial  officers  and  prosecutors  about  various provisions of law relevant to trafficking and their role  in  curbing  trafficking.  MHA  has also issued various advisories to States and UTs from time to time on preventing and combating human  trafficking.  These  advisories  are  available  at  MHA's  website  www.mha.gov.in. Through the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019, the Schedule of NIA Act, 2008 has been amended and National Investigation Agency has been empowered to investigate the cases committed under Sections 370 and 370A of Indian Penal Code relating to Human Trafficking.  To address the cross border  trafficking,  India  has  signed  bilateral Memoranda of Understanding for Prevention of Human Trafficking with the Governments of  Bangladesh,  UAE  and  Cambodia.  Joint  Task  Forces  for  prevention  of  Human Trafficking  of  the  officials  of  India  and  Bangladesh  and  India  and  UAE  have  been constituted. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for repatriation of Nepalese children has been  issued  to  all  States/UTs.  India  has  also  signed  the  South  Asian  Association  for Regional  Cooperation  Convention (SAARC) on  Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Women  and  Children  in  Prostitution  in  2002.  India  has  ratified  the  United  Nations Convention  on  Transnational  Organized  Crime  (UNCTOC)  in  2011  and  its  Protocols namely  (i)  Protocol  to  Prevent,  Suppress  and  Punish  Trafficking  in  Persons,  especially Women and Children and (ii) Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.

State  Govt.  of  West  Bengal  has  informed  that  quarterly  coordination  meetings  against human trafficking are held with Police, Childline, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), District  Crime  Record  Bureau,  etc.  Awareness  programmes  on  human  trafficking  are organised in  the  schools  by  DCPU  in  collaboration  with  DLSA  and  local  NGOs  through which a large number of students and teachers are covered. The District Child Protection Unit  is  in  place  to  address  child  protection  issues  and  concerns  including  follow  up  of trafficked  survivors.  There  is  one  Open  Shelter,  one  Project  Approval  Board  approved Child Care Institution for children in need of care and protection in the district.