State directed to stop child trafficking

SHILLONG, JUNE 4: To stop trafficking of children from the state, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) directed the Meghalaya government to prepare a proper action plan to counter the menace.

The commission felt that children from the state that share its border with another country are more vulnerable to trafficking.

The Meghalaya government’s has delayed the earlier directive of the commission to develop a proper action plan for preventing child trafficking.

Commission member Yogesh Dube told reporters after meeting with the Meghalaya officials on Tuesday, “We have asked the State home department, Meghalaya’s Inspector General of Police  (IG) to prepare a protocol action plan for preventing human trafficking of both children and woman from the state.”

Dubey said though efforts have been made by the state home department to counter trafficking of children but the issue is still sensitive as human trafficking from the north eastern region including Meghalaya is still rampant.

“Such trafficking of children and women is more sensitive in areas having border with neighbouring countries,” he said.

To firm-up and protect the rights of the child, the commission also directed the Meghalaya government to ensure that all the districts should have ‘child-line’ facilities.

“We want to ensure that all children are free from any kind of exploitation,” Dubey asserted.

The commission informed that it would take up setting of the toll free number 1098 with the centre and should be made operational by all the mobile service providers in the different districts of the state by next year.

Dubey informed that the state social welfare department has also assured that it would write to all the mobile service providers in the state to make the toll free number operational in all the districts.-By Our Reporter