Gangs using street children for begging on rise in Nizamabad

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Nizamabad: The problem of street children and of gangs using them for begging and other petty crimes is on the rise in this district
More and more children aged are found being abandoned or begging near temples and traffic signals in Nizamabad, Bodhan, Armoor and other
among the children saved from streets, the missing, the abandoned and those engaged in child labour are identified first and then shifted to
the observation home in Nizamabad
Rescued children are handed over to their parents, if their origin is traced and counseling would be done, police said.A team of police
officials headed by a sub inspector and four constables are implementing the Operation Smile.Additional deputy police commissioner T
Usha Vishwanath inaugurated Operation Smile-VII here on Thursday
She said the drive will continue through January
Jyothi said a separate observation home for destitute boys and girls is required
As of now, abandoned kids and child labourers are shifted to the observation home in the juvenile centre
Mixing of children involved in criminal cases and abandoned children is not advisable, she pointed out.Numerous children are seen on garbage
points, temples and traffic signals, begging for money from motorists.Earlier, officials of the national child labour project intensively
conducted raids and identified child labourers
Women, child welfare department, the NCLP, police and labour department officials can coordinate in the drive against the street children