Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Seven children found begging around the Tuljabhavani temple town of Tuljapur in Dharashiv district have been rescued and given protection by the women and child development department.
The special drive was carried out on Oct 16 amid the heavy Navaratra rush, when thousands of devotees visit Tuljapur. Authorities have appealed to the residents to not give alms to children and to alert Childline 1098 if child beggars are spotted. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
Officials said the large crowds often lead to exploitation of children for begging, prompting a preventive campaign on the directions of the district women and child development officer. Following the committee’s orders, all seven were admitted to an observation home for care and protection,” Dharashiv district collector Keerthi Kiran Pujar said. District child protection unit authorities said the objective was to restore childhood, not merely stop begging, through identification, immediate protection, educational mainstreaming, inter-agency rehabilitation and sustained awareness. They said children’s hands should hold books, not begging bowls.
During the operation, teams found five boys and two girls begging at the temple premises, public squares and nearby market areas. The drive was jointly carried out by the district child protection unit, Childline helpline, Sakhi One Stop Centre, Yuva Gram Vikas Mandal, Special Juvenile Police Unit, local police and social workers. Officials warned that using children for begging, economic gain or keeping them out of school, is a serious offence. Download the TOI App.
“The children were taken into custody and produced before the child welfare committee, Dharashiv.