ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a): As per information provided by the State Govt. of West Bengal, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is not in place in Darjeeling. However, CWC, Jalpaiguri is holding the charge of Darjeeling district too. The District Child Protection Officer has been appointed in Darjeeling district.
(b): As per information provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), details are as under:
Cases Reported under Human Trafficking in certain Districts of West Bengal during 2017 and 2018
S.
No. Name of the District Total Children Trafficked cases Male Adults Trafficked cases Female Adults Trafficked cases Total Human Trafficked cases
2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018
1 Alipurduar 8 2 0 0 1 0 9 2
2 Darjeeling 11 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
3 Uttar Dinajpur 9 1 0 0 1 2 10 3
4 Kalimpong 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Source :Annual Anti Human Trafficking Data received from AHT Units of State/UT published in Crimen India-2017 & 2018.
(c): As per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), ‘Police’ is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and as such prevention of the crime of human trafficking is the responsibility of State Governments. However, the MHA has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments by taking various initiatives and measures. MHA has provided financial assistance to all States for setting up Anti Human Trafficking Units and 332 Anti Human Trafficking Units have been set up in various Districts of the States. Government has approved a scheme for setting up/strengthening Anti Human Trafficking Units in all districts of States/UTs under Nirbhaya Fund. MHA also provides financial assistance to the States and Judicial Academies in States to hold ‘Judicial Colloquiums’ and ‘State level conference’ to sensitize police officials, judicial officers and prosecutors about various provisions of law relevant to trafficking and their role in curbing trafficking. MHA has also issued various advisories to States and UTs from time to time on preventing and combating human trafficking. These advisories are available at MHA''s website www.mha.gov.in. Through the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019, the Schedule of NIA Act, 2008 has been amended and National Investigation Agency has been empowered to investigate the cases committed under Sections 370 and 370A of Indian Penal Code relating to Human Trafficking. To address the cross border trafficking, India has signed bilateral Memoranda of Understanding for Prevention of Human Trafficking with the Governments of Bangladesh, UAE and Cambodia. Joint Task Forces for prevention of Human Trafficking of the officials of India and Bangladesh and India and UAE have been constituted. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for repatriation of Nepalese children has been issued to all States/UTs. India has also signed the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Convention (SAARC) on Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children in Prostitution in 2002. India has ratified the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) in 2011 and its Protocols namely (i) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children and (ii) Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
State Govt. of West Bengal has informed that quarterly coordination meetings against human trafficking are held with Police, Childline, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), District Crime Record Bureau, etc. Awareness programmes on human trafficking are organised in the schools by DCPU in collaboration with DLSA and local NGOs through which a large number of students and teachers are covered. The District Child Protection Unit is in place to address child protection issues and concerns including follow up of trafficked survivors. There is one Open Shelter, one Project Approval Board approved Child Care Institution for children in need of care and protection in the district.
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