Chandigarh, July 18
The Punjab Government, under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and guided by the progressive thinking of Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, has intensified its efforts to eradicate the menace of child begging from the sacred land of Punjab with the launch of ‘Project Jeevanjot-2.’
Punjab’s Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated today that Punjab, a land revered for its gurus, saints, and warriors, cannot allow the shameful practice of child begging to continue unchecked. “When we see small children forced to beg on our streets, it is not just their dignity that suffers, it raises serious questions on our society’s collective conscience and on the honour of Punjab itself,” Dr. Kaur said.
Progress So Far Under Project Jeevanjot (Phase-1) The Punjab Government started this mission in September 2024. Dedicated rescue teams formed district-level committees to identify and rescue children found begging across the state.
In the last 9 months, through 753 rescue operations (raids) across districts, 367 children were successfully rescued. Of these, 350 children were reunited with their families, while 17 children whose parents could not be identified were placed in Child Care Homes (Bal Ghar). 150 rescued children belonged to other states and were safely repatriated to their families.
183 children were admitted to schools, and 13 children under the age of 6 were enrolled in Anganwadi centres for early childhood care. 30 children from extremely poor families were enrolled in the Sponsorship Scheme, receiving ₹4,000 per month to ensure their education continues uninterrupted. 16 children were brought under the State’s pension scheme, receiving ₹1,500 per month.
The Minister said that the AAP government is not just rescuing children but ensuring continuous monitoring. Every three months, district-level child protection teams verify whether these children continue attending school and are not back on the streets.