To make the officials involved in checking human trafficking in the State, a one day workshop was organised here in presence of senior officers of the Home and Police Department, on Monday.
According an official communiqué, around 130 Police personnel from all the zones along with key stakeholders like the Child Welfare Committee, Child protection Officers and protection officers, UNICEF, CHIlDlINE and various NGOs attended the programme.
Addressing the participants, Secretary (home), Kamal Saxena, argued that the problem of Human Trafficking is a huge one and it could be fought only through convergence of stakeholders. He said that multi-stakeholder cooperation is very much needed in order to break the crime. “Police is the main law enforcement agency and therefore sensitisation of the senior Police Officers on the issue is very necessary,”he stressed.
Special Secretary (Home), Ministhy S Nair, lamented the initiatives that are being taken up by the state Government on the directions of Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav. She claimed that due to the grievousness of the problem it is necessary for sensitization and awareness of all the stakeholders starting from the village level. She said that strengthening of law enforcement agency is very necessary so that justice is ensured to the victims. She too claimed that police is the most important stakeholder whose role is very crucial in coming over the said menace. She said that the government had already taken an initiative of conducting zonal level and district level police training to address the issue with the district magistrates, senior police officers, officers of the Seema Shastra Bal, Border Security Force etc.
DIG (SSB) lucknow Frontier, Nayyar Hasnain Khan presented his views on the role of SSB in combating Cross Border Trafficking. He said, “Sharing of intelligence between police and SSB regarding human trafficking cases is important to combat the menace.” Altogether 10 officers and 10 Sub-ordinate officers of SSB Frontier lucknow and field unit of border district of lakhimpur, Baharaich, Bhinga argued the present gathering to give special attention in the bordering areas as it is observed that there is a possibility of large scale cross border trafficking as the aftermath of the recent Nepal Earthquake.
Aftab Mohammad of UNICEF lucknow focused on the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India. He also discussed about the functioning and role of the Child Welfare Committee and District Child Protection Units to handle the cases of children in need of care and Protection. He also shared about the initiative taken up the State government to prevent cross border human trafficking which resulted due to the recent Earthquake tragedy in Nepal as many districts of UP shares borders with the country.
IG (Crime),RK Swarankar, stressed on the need of inter-state Police collaboration as an important tool to combat trafficking. He said that state Government is seriously taking up the issue and every possible step would be initiated to fight the organized crime. He said that non registration of FIR is a serious offence and officials could be booked under 166 A IPC. He also focused on sharing few sections of various laws such as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
The State Government in association with Shakti vahini is conducting zonal and district level Police Training and stake holders consultation throughout the state.
