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Alarming rise in human trafficking cases in Bihar

Patna: Notwithstanding the Nitish Kumar Government’s continuing efforts to rein in human trafficking under the Bihar Human Traffic Prevention Programme, Bihar has registered an alarming rise in cases of human trafficking to more than 50 in 2008 from 21 in 2007.

According to the official figures compiled by the State police headquarters here, the number of cases went up to over 50 in 2008, an increase of 29 cases over the corresponding period previous year.

On the other hand, the police arrested 128 human traffickers and rescued 91 women and 99 children, mostly below the age of 18 years, from the clutches of the traffick-ers in 2008, official sources said.

Of the 91 women freed from the traffickers, eight were minor and 13 were residents of West Bengal.

The rest of the women, who were trafficked, turned out to be the victims from Bihar, they said.

Similarly, out of 99 child labourers got released from their traffickers, 31 were from West Bengal, six from Jharkhand and the rest from Bihar.

The State Government launched the Human Trafficking Prevention Programme in 2007-08 for checking illegal marketing of women and child labourers and ensure a comprehensive rehabilitation package, sources said.

Under this programme, special human trafficking prevention cells under supervision of the district welfare officials, police officials and representatives from non-governmental organisations have been constituted in three districts of Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya.

The cells are required to bring the cases of human trafficking to light, launch operation to rescue women and children and bring them to the social mainstream, sources said.

Under the programme, the State welfare department in coordination with United Nation office of drugs and crime involved three NGOs -- Bharati Trust, Patna, Shaktivardhani in Danapur and another based in Motihari town for rehabilitating the victims who have been coerced into flesh trade.

Though, after initial hiccups, these organisations took initiatives for making some arrangements for rehabilitation of some women liberated from the illicit trade, rehabilitation work was later hampered from gathering momentum for want of funds, sources said.

According to additional director general (weaker sections) Rajvardhan Sharma, special programmes for policemen are being organised from time to time for imparting training to react with a quick response the moment cases of human trafficking come to their notice. -- PTI

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