Lok Sabha Question No. 1974 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Child Beggars
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dileshwar Kamait, Geeta Kora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.1974

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021

## CHILD BEGGARS

## †1974.  SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA: SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRIMATI GEETA KORA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  plight  of  small  children  begging  on roads/footpaths in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  efforts  being  made  by  the  Government  to improve the standard of living of the said children; and
- (c) the  details  of  funds  allocated  for  the  Non-Government  Organisation  working  for rehabilitation  of  destitute  women  and  children  during  the  last  five  years,  Statewise/NGO-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to  (c):  The  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and  Protection  of  Children)  Act,  2015  (JJ  Act)  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 living 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 beg 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 along with measures for institutional and non-institutional  care,  to  ensure  comprehensive  well  being  of  children  in  distress  situations. Primary responsibility of execution of the Act rests with the States/UTs.

The Ministry  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 age-appropriate 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 .

The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment,  has  undertaken  a  pilot  project  for Comprehensive  Rehabilitation  of  Persons  engaged  in  the  act  of  begging  in  ten  (10)  cities; namely  Delhi,  Mumbai,  Chennai,  Ahmadabad,  Hyderabad,  Bangalore,  Lucknow,  Patna, Nagpur  and  Indore with the objective of identification, rehabilitation, counseling, skill development  of  beggars.  It  includes  education  of  children  engaged  in  begging/children  of persons engaged in the begging.

****

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Un-starred Question No.1974  for  answer  on  12.02.2021  raised  by  Shri  Jugal  Kishore  Sharma,  Shri Dileshwar Kamait and Smt. Geeta Kora regarding 'Child Beggars'.

## The details of fund released during last five years (i.e. F.Y., 2015-16 to 2019-20) to the States/UTs under CPS

| Sl. N o.   | Name of the State/ UT    | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   |
|------------|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1          | Andhra Pradesh           | 238.58    | 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    | 413.64    | 2932.68   | 3379.63   | 3363.95   |
| 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   | 769.95    | 590.11    | 2251.55   | 2146.27   |
| 8          | Haryana                  | 496.44    | 0.00      | 1858.22   | 1387.60   | 2217.99   |
| 9          | Himachal Pradesh         | 604.04    | 2345.48   | 1835.01   | 1342.64   | 1607.40   |
| 10         | Jammu & Kashmir          | 113.35    | 43.12     | 807.48    | 2106.94   | 1225.16   |
| 11         | Jharkhand                | 369.88    | 840.11    | 1714.57   | 1480.26   | 1845.80   |
| 12         | Karnataka                | 1845.24   | 3720.80   | 3272.45   | 4022.56   | 3290.45   |
| 13         | Kerala                   | 944.39    | 260.50    | 1849.45   | 1263.77   | 1519.74   |
| 14         | Madhya Pradesh           | 1116.03   | 2503.88   | 3262.77   | 2959.23   | 3052.72   |
| 15         | Maharashtra              | 3138.75   | 2272.33   | 608.15    | 3156.52   | 2449.63   |
| 16         | Manipur                  | 3082.18   | 241.34    | 1886.33   | 3866.99   | 3102.72   |
| 17         | Meghalaya                | 1469.55   | 2060.33   | 1846.60   | 2254.51   | 2241.71   |
| 18         | Mizoram                  | 2079.44   | 1949.55   | 1917.51   | 2042.28   | 2530.43   |
| 19         | Nagaland                 | 2257.65   | 1350.37   | 1457.45   | 1787.12   | 2085.95   |
| 20         | Orissa                   | 3309.07   | 1089.22   | 2599.30   | 4352.44   | 3541.66   |
| 21         | Punjab                   | 820.81    | 581.67    | 143.24    | 1244.17   | 722.00    |
| 22         | Rajasthan                | 3258.92   | 0.00      | 4752.30   | 3584.72   | 3195.88   |
| 23         | Sikkim                   | 562.00    | 601.18    | 662.76    | 379.25    | 662.51    |
| 24         | Tamil Nadu               | 825.04    | 13039.37  | 2013.12   | 7895.14   | 14915.36  |
| 25         | Telangana                | 354.88    | 195.64    | 894.82    | 1329.23   | 1726.38   |
| 26         | Tripura                  | 710.63    | 676.04    | 446.81    | 885.77    | 879.61    |
| 27         | Uttar Pradesh            | 2884.18   | 3207.19   | 1830.67   | 7834.39   | 4277.72   |
| 28         | Uttarakhand              | 66.88     | 15.54     | 907.57    | 1344.40   | 918.58    |
| 29         | West Bengal              | 508.67    | 6763.87   | 5073.56   | 2372.13   | 2815.10   |
| 30         | Andaman & Nicobar Island | 36.03     | 36.88     | 31.66     | 218.85    | 329.62    |
| 31         | Chandigarh               | 357.82    | 245.44    | 194.32    | 577.58    | 0.00      |
| 32         | Dadra & Nagar Haveli     | 58.66     | 177.59    | 24.82     | 11.24     | 193.97    |
|            | Daman & Diu              | 82.82     | 126.42    | 21.89     | 18.42     | 141.79    |
| 33         | Delhi                    | 1363.40   | 978.64    | 354.33    | 1007.39   | 972.86    |
| 34         | Lakshadweep              | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      |
| 35         | Ladakh                   | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| 36         | Puducherry               | 559.60    | 826.33    | 114.35    | 398.43    | 501.96    |
| Total      |                          | 43892.10  | 50847.97  | 52469.95  | 73451.70  | 74546.32  |