Govt to launch Child Beggar-Free Delhi campaign, says CM Rekha

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday announced that the Delhi Government will soon launch a ‘Child Beggar-Free Delhi’ campaign to protect children found begging at public places and major road intersections in the city.

In a video posted on X on Saturday, the chief minister said the campaign will be conducted across 13 districts of the Capital to provide a secure future to children forced into beggary. The children will not be moved by force, instead, the government, along with the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and NGOs, will counsel their families, address their difficulties and provide better alternatives, she said.

“The campaign will also identify and expose organised gangs forcing children into begging,” she said, asking people to provide their comments and suggestions on the campaign.

DCPCR Chairman OP Vyas said that after considering the feedback from the public, the campaign is expected to be launched around Independence Day. There are two aspects to the child beggar issue, he said.

“First, we will focus on parents and ensure their counselling so that children are weaned away from begging. The other is the involvement of organised gangs who force small, homeless and poor children into begging, which will require strict legal action,” Vyas said.

Besides NGOs, child welfare committees will also be actively engaged in the campaign, he said. Under the Juvenile Justice Act, child welfare committees have been empowered to take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection, Vyas said.

Children freed from beggary require care and protection, for which they will be empowered through education and skill training, he said. The DCPCR will ensure that after being freed from beggary, the smaller children are provided formal education while the older ones are empowered through skill training, he added.

According to estimates by social organisations, there are around 70,000 street children in the capital, of which thousands are engaged in begging at public places, including around religious sites, bus and metro stations, marketplaces and major road intersections.