New Delhi: To protect children across the country, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has urged several states to establish Anti-Human Trafficking Units at their railway stations to prevent trafficking and enhance passenger safety.
According to information provided by the Railways, AHTUs were to be set up in about 262 stations across India but due to some reasons, these could not be set up there.
For the safety and security of the children, Railways and the Ministry of Women and Child Development will expand Child Help Desks at major railway stations, strengthening the support network available to children in need. These new initiatives and strategies to ensure the well-being of both children and women within railway premises were also discussed, the Railways said.
Director General of RPF Manoj Yadava recently said, "We are aligning closely with the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act while addressing the pressing need for child protection in the railway premises."
The railway officials informed that the RPF has rescued 57,564 children in the last five years from trafficking. Out of them, 18,172 were girls. Further, the force made sure that 80 per cent of these children were reunited with their families. Under 'Operation Nanhe Farishte', RPF has introduced a series of focused initiatives to secure the safety of children throughout the railway network.
Recognising the continuing challenge of child trafficking, RPF's "Operation AAHT" has also been instrumental in rescuing over 2,300 children and apprehending 674 traffickers since 2022.
To provide safety and security at stations, the Railways have installed CCTV and face recognition technology at upgraded railway stations. With a large number of passengers travelling by rail each day including women - many of whom travel alone-there is a pressing need to safeguard vulnerable groups especially juveniles who risk exploitation by human traffickers, Railway officials said.
The officials said the recently enhanced Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) reinforces railways’ commitment to prevent child exploitation and trafficking by providing a safety net for at-risk children who may have been separated from their families.
