Enthused over the success of the Operation Smile launched first in the State on January 1, 2015 to recover the missing children and reunite them with their families or rehabilitate them at the Government-run homes, State Police are all set to re-launch it on February 1.    As per the police, 386 children are missing from across the state. It is learnt that this would be the ninth chapter of the Operation Smile.  In all, 1266 missing children have been rescued since it was launched in the state at the initiative of the then DGP Uttarakhand Police B S Siddu on January 1, 2015. Most of the children thus rescued have been handed over to their family members while some have been sent to rehabilitation centres.

A meeting was held chaired by state DGP Anil K Raturi  at the state police headquarters in Dehradun on Tuesday to ensure coordination among  the officers of various departments. DGP reviewed the earlier chapters of the Operation Smile with the officers in course of the meeting following which the decision to re-launch the drive was taken.

The officers discussed the factors which are leading to the children leaving homes. According to them, poverty is the principal reason behind the children leaving homes. There are some social factors too, they said. Five teams have been formed each in Haridwar, Dehradun and Nainital districts while four in Udham Singh Nagar, two in Uttarkashi and one each in the remaining districts of the state.

Each team comprises one sub-inspector and four constables. Circle officers at the district levels would be appointed as nodal officers, police sources said.

Besides, a workshop would be conducted at the district level to inform the policemen about child- related legal provisions. It must be written here that this is a great initiative from police and this mission must continue at any cost in the larger interest of society at large and this will further enhance the image of police in the eyes of public.This is really a great work.

 Police said that the month-long drive would be conducted at places like shelter homes, dhabas, industries, bus stations and railway stations where possibility of finding of missing children are optimum.