Lok Sabha Question No. 1979 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Missing Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jyotirmay Singh Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.1979

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021

## MISSING CHILDREN

†1979. SHRI JYOTIRMAY SINGH MAHATO :

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

- (a) whether the Central Government has received any data from the Government of West Bengal regarding missing women and children and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) total number of missing women and children reported from West Bengal, district-wise;
- (c) whether any negligence in the recovery of these children on part of State Government has been observed; and
- (d) if so, the remedial steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d): As per the information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), districtwise data of the total no of missing women & children reported from West Bengal during the year 2017 to 2019 is Annexed .

The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  hosts  a  web   portal  "TrackChild"  to  track  the missing  and  found  children.  The  TrackChild  Portal  is  implemented  in  association  with  various stakeholders including Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Railways, State Governments/UT Administrations, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, National Legal  Services  Authority,  etc.  'Khoya-Paya'  is  a  citizen  centric  portal  for  reporting  sighted children. The Ministry also supports 24x7 outreach helpline service for children in distress under 'Child Protection Services' scheme, which is available through a dedicated toll free number, 1098 accessible  from  any  where  in  India.  The  National  Commission  for  Women  and  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights have issued  notices to the State in respect of such complaints.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) mandates safety net of service delivery structures along with Institutional and non- Institutional care for children in need of  care  and  protection  and  children  in  conflict  with  law.  Section  2  (14)  (vii)  defines  missing children  as  children  in  need  of  care  and  protection.  The  Ministry  implements  a  centrally sponsored  Child  Protection  Services  (CPS)  Scheme  for  supporting  the  children  in  distress conditions. Under CPS, financial assistance is provided to States/UTs, for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances and for setting up and maintenances of  Child Care Institutes (CCIs) for providing  rehabilitative services. The primary responsibility of execution of the Act rests with the States/UTs.

***

## Annexure

Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.1979 for  answer  on  12.02.2021raised  by  Shri  Jyotirmay  Singh  Mahato  regarding  'Missing Children'. District-wise  Women  and  Children  missing  in  West  Bengal  during  2017  and  2018

provided by NCRB is as follows:

| Sl No   | District               | 2017           | 2017                       | 2018           | 2018                       | 2019           | 2019                       |
|---------|------------------------|----------------|----------------------------|----------------|----------------------------|----------------|----------------------------|
| Sl No   | District               | Children Total | Adult Women (Above 18 Yrs) | Children Total | Adult Women (Above 18 Yrs) | Children Total | Adult Women (Above 18 Yrs) |
| 1       | Alipurduar             | 157            | 536                        | 174            | 572                        | 174            | 572                        |
| 2       | Asansol-Durgapur PC    | 96             | 411                        | 110            | 624                        | 110            | 624                        |
| 3       | Bankura                | 40             | 451                        | 121            | 583                        | 121            | 583                        |
| 4       | Barrackpur PC          | 668            | 1390                       | 610            | 1366                       | 610            | 1366                       |
| 5       | Bidhannagar PC         | 173            | 430                        | 159            | 457                        | 159            | 457                        |
| 6       | Birbhum                | 38             | 277                        | 57             | 358                        | 57             | 358                        |
| 7       | Coochbehar             | 173            | 813                        | 224            | 942                        | 224            | 942                        |
| 8       | Dakshin Dinajpur       | 194            | 615                        | 239            | 712                        | 239            | 712                        |
| 9       | Darjeeling             | 43             | 238                        | 44             | 269                        | 44             | 269                        |
| 10      | Hooghly Rural Police   | 238            | 572                        | 271            | 737                        | 271            | 737                        |
| 11      | Howrah GRP             | 10             | 18                         | 12             | 24                         | 12             | 24                         |
| 12      | Howrah PC              | 255            | 613                        | 269            | 715                        | 269            | 715                        |
| 13      | Howrah Rural           | 368            | 695                        | 330            | 820                        | 330            | 820                        |
| 14      | Jalpaiguri             | 109            | 643                        | 112            | 728                        | 112            | 728                        |
| 15      | Jhargram               | 50             | 143                        | 57             | 188                        | 57             | 188                        |
| 16      | Kharagpur GRP          | 1              | 4                          | 1              | 1                          | 1              | 1                          |
| 17      | Kolkata                | 857            | 1667                       | 989            | 1918                       | 989            | 1918                       |
| 18      | Malda                  | 314            | 856                        | 314            | 856                        | 314            | 856                        |
| 19      | Murshidabad            | 74             | 1539                       | 70             | 1758                       | 70             | 1758                       |
| 20      | Nadia                  | 291            | 1484                       | 474            | 2076                       | 474            | 2076                       |
| 21      | Paschim Medinipur      | 272            | 627                        | 402            | 910                        | 402            | 910                        |
| 22      | Purab Medinipur        | 222            | 662                        | 294            | 716                        | 294            | 716                        |
| 23      | Purulia                | 47             | 188                        | 28             | 251                        | 28             | 251                        |
| 24      | Sealdah GRP            | 17             | 18                         | 9              | 22                         | 9              | 22                         |
| 25      | Siliguri GRP           | 0              | 1                          | 0              | 3                          | 0              | 3                          |
| 26      | Siliguri PC            | 355            | 648                        | 323            | 703                        | 323            | 703                        |
| 27      | Uttar Dinajpur         | 183            | 482                        | 69             | 504                        | 69             | 504                        |
| 28      | Baruipur Police        | 485            | 1139                       | 375            | 829                        | 375            | 829                        |
| 29      | Chandannagar PC        | 149            | 393                        | 112            | 464                        | 112            | 464                        |
| 30      | Diamond Harbour Police | 497            | 728                        | 439            | 979                        | 439            | 979                        |
| 31      | Kalimpong              | 14             | 84                         | 29             | 103                        | 29             | 103                        |
| 32      | Purba Bardhaman        | 275            | 643                        | 321            | 726                        | 321            | 726                        |
| 33      | Sundarban Police       | 152            | 470                        | 86             | 526                        | 86             | 526                        |
| 34      | Barasat                | 1006           | 1945                       | 724            | 1629                       | 724            | 1629                       |
| 35      | Basirhat               | 355            | 579                        | 357            | 731                        | 357            | 731                        |
|         | Total                  | 8178           | 22002                      | 8205           | 24800                      | 8205           | 24800                      |

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