Question : ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

(a) whether America’s Foreign Department have released its annual report titled “Trafficking in Persons” in which India has been named as a safe haven of illegal flesh trade;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Union Government to this report;

(c) whether it has also been mentioned in this report that India has acquired the dubious distinction as a favourite destination of flesh trade among the European and American Tourists;

(d) if so, the facts related to the said matter; and

(e) the category in which India has been classified in this report?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA)

(a),(b),(c),(d)&(e) The U.S. State Department read its annual report titled “Trafficking in Persons” on 11th June 2003. The Union Government considers the report to be an internal exercise of the U.S. Administration under its domestic law and rejects the report. The report has made a number of unwarranted and exaggerated references to the situation in India. India has been designated as a tier II country.