Lok Sabha Question No. 1451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Trafficking of Children and Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1451

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2023

## TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN

## 1451. SHRI RAJU BISTA:

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

- (a) whether the Government maintains records of missing/trafficked children and women recovered by the police during the last three years;
- (b) if so, the number of such children recovered during the last three years, Statewise;
- (c) whether the Government has undertaken any study to understand the reasons behind missing/ trafficking of women and children and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the number of missing/trafficked women and child reported from districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and North Dinajpur in West Bengal, including the number of persons recovered thereafter?

## ANSWER

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

(a) : The records of missing children are maintained in TrackChild Portal. Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Therefore, it is the primary responsibility of respective State Governments and Union  Territory  Administration  (UTs)  to  take  necessary  steps  for  preventing  and countering human trafficking including children and women. Specific information with regard to trafficking hotspots is not maintained by the Central Government.

The Central Government has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments/ UT Administrations by undertaking various initiatives and measures with regard to law and order. It has provided financial assistance under 'Nirbhaya Fund' to all States/ UTs during the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 for strengthening the existing  Anti  Human  Trafficking  Units  (AHTUs)  and  for  establishing  new  AHTUs covering  all  districts  of  the  States/  UTs.  In  addition,  the  Central  Government  also provides financial assistance to States and UTs for holding 'Judicial Colloquiums' and 'State level conferences' on periodic basis for sensitizing judicial and police officials and to make available to them updated information on latest provisions of law relating to human trafficking.

(b) : State/UT-wise number of recovered children by the police, as per records available in the TrackChild Portal, during last three years period (01.01.2020 to 31.12.2022) is at Annexure-I.

(c):  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  has  conducted various  activities  and  programmes  to  prevent  crimes  on  child  trafficking  such  as, sensitization workshops in various Source Transit and Destination Hotspot Districts of North-East  Region;  'National  Level  Multi-stakeholders  E-Consultation  Meeting  to Combat Child Trafficking Post Lockdown Situation due to COVID-19' virtually on 8 th May 2020; and programme called 'Samvardhan' meant for mapping of children and their  families  vulnerable  to  child  trafficking  post  lockdown  situation  due  to  Covid-19 pandemic. Further, NCPCR has documented recommendations on 'Preventing Child Trafficking  Post  Lockdown  Situation  due  to  COVID-19  pandemic' in  2021  and  has taken initiatives to prevent child trafficking.

(d): As per records available in the TrackChild Portal, the number of children Missing and Recovered by the police from district of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and North Dinajpur in State of West Bengal during last three years period (01.01.2020 to 31.12.2022) is at Annexure-II. No specific information with regard to women is available in the Ministry.

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## ANNEXURE - I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) TO THE LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION  NO.1451  FOR  ANSWER  ON  10.02.2023  ASKED  BY  SHRI  RAJU  BISTA REGARDING TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN

State/UT-wise number of children recovered by the police during last three years period (01.01.2020 to 31.12.2022)

| Sl. No.   | State/UT                             | Number of Children Recovered   |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar Islands            | 61                             |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh                       | 2137                           |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 0                              |
| 4         | Assam                                | 167                            |
| 5         | Bihar                                | 519                            |
| 6         | Chandigarh                           | 180                            |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh                         | 7506                           |
| 8         | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 3                              |
| 9         | Delhi                                | 7552                           |
| 10        | Goa                                  | 3                              |
| 11        | Gujarat                              | 10056                          |
| 12        | Haryana                              | 846                            |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh                     | 271                            |
| 14        | Jammu & Kashmir*                     | 40                             |
| 15        | Ladakh*                              |                                |
| 16        | Jharkhand                            | 23                             |
| 17        | Karnataka                            | 10983                          |
| 18        | Kerala                               | 2325                           |
| 19        | Lakshadweep                          | 0                              |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh                       | 32472                          |
| 21        | Maharashtra                          | 6650                           |
| 22        | Manipur                              | 0                              |
| 23        | Meghalaya                            | 203                            |
| 24        | Mizoram                              | 0                              |
| 25        | Nagaland                             | 1                              |
| 26        | Odisha                               | 12254                          |
| 27        | Puducherry                           | 127                            |
| 28        | Punjab                               | 164                            |
| 29        | Rajasthan                            | 4785                           |
| 30        | Sikkim                               | 74                             |
| 31        | Tamil Nadu                           | 1006                           |
| 32        | Telangana                            | 560                            |
| 33        | Tripura                              | 26                             |
| 34        | Uttrakhand                           | 826                            |
| 35        | Uttar Pradesh                        | 2243                           |
| 36        | West Bengal                          | 24603                          |
| Total     | Total                                | 128666                         |

ANNEXURE - II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (D) TO THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1451 FOR ANSWER ON 10.02.2023 ASKED BY SHRI RAJU BISTA REGARDING TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN

Details  of  children  Missing  and  Recovered  by  the  police  from  district  of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and North Dinajpur in State of West Bengal during last three years period (01.01.2020 to 31.12.2022)

| Sl. No.   | State/UT       |   Number of Children Missing |   Number of Children Recovered |
|-----------|----------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1         | Darjeeling     |                          106 |                             70 |
| 2         | Kalimpong      |                           36 |                             29 |
| 3         | North Dinajpur |                          380 |                            388 |
| Total     | Total          |                          522 |                            487 |

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