India News | Punjab to Amend Beggary Act to Make Stricter Enforcement

Chandigarh, Jun 21 (PTI) Punjab Women and Child Development Minister Baljit Kaur on Saturday said the government will make amendments to the Beggary Act to launch a stricter crackdown on racketeers.

The amendments to the Punjab Prevention of Beggary Act, 1971, will carry heavy penalties against racketeers, guardians, or parents found forcing children to beg at traffic lights and other intersections, she said.

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Kaur said the state will form special teams to identify and act against those operating these rackets and rescue and rehabilitate children.

The minister said that since July 2024, under the Jeevanjot project, 286 children have been rescued.

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She also said that this year, a pilot project 'Smile' will be launched in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, and Bathinda.

Under the initiative, child beggars will be identified, and their families will be tracked through DNA tests, she said.

The minister said she has issued directions to all deputy commissioners to strive to make their districts beggar-free.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)