Punjab Govt orders DNA test on child beggars, adults to verify relationship

In order to check child trafficking and exploitation of destitute children by unscrupulous begging racket operators, the government has asked all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests on children found begging with adults on the streets to verify their relationship.

An order to this effect was issued by the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development to all deputy commissioners on Wednesday evening.

Following this, the police in Mohali, Amritsar and a few other places have started an exercise to check the antecedents of those who were forcing children to beg at public places. According to the order, any child found begging with an adult could be taken away by the district authorities for a DNA test to see if the child was related to the adult. Till such time that the results of the test are declared, the child will be put in institutional care, under the supervision of a child welfare committee.

The order said strict action would be taken against the adults if the tests proved there was no relation between the two. It is learnt that the child welfare committees would first identify such cases, where it appeared that the child was being forced to beg by the adult. These cases would then be brought to the notice of DCs, who would recommend the DNA test.

The latest order has been issued after Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Baljit Kaur had last month asked DCs of all districts in Punjab to work towards making their districts free from beggars.

Punjab