Kozhikode to be declared child beggar-free today

Kozhikode: Minister for Social Welfare MK Muneer will declare Kozhikode a Child beggars-free city on Saturday.

The efforts by the authorities towards the elimination of child beggary and child labour in the city achieved success and this led to the child-beggar-free proclamation, said city police officials.

In a week-long drive conducted by the city police in various places under the 15 police station limits, only four cases of child beggary were reported.

The cases were registered against four mothers who were used their infants for begging on Railway Station premises. Among them, only one is from Nallalam with others belong to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The cases were registered in Feroke, Kasaba, Town and Nallalam police stations.

"The drive would be intensified in the coming days with the cooperation of various residents associations and other organisations," said Kozhikode Juvenile wing SI M Veeran. Children rescued will be presented before the Child Welfare Committees concerned and legal action will be initiated against those who forced them into beggary. Railway stations are the main area of child begging and police will intensify its patrolling in these areas, he added.

The drive, which was focused on creating awareness among the public on child beggary and labour, was held from January 3 to January 9 in the city.

In order to achieve this, police held meetings with residents associations and other organisations in various places in the city.

Police places notices at the Railway Station and other centres to spread awareness that child labour is a serious offense. The programmes were conducted under the aegis of Child Welfare Committee, Childline, Kerala Legal Service Authority and Railway Protection Force.

Mayor AK Premajam will preside over the proclamation meet to be held at Town Hall at 4 pm on Saturday. MK Raghavan M P, MLAs Elamaram Kareem, A Pradeepkumar, A K Saseendran, PTA Rahim, Collector PB Salim, DIG Kannur Range S Sreejith, City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar and Assistant Commissioner P M Pradeep will attend the programme.