Adra Railway Division’s railway manager Navin Kumar inaugurated the first Child Help Desk at Platform Number-1 of Bokaro Railway Station on Wednesday.
Bokaro railway station is one of the most lucrative stations of the South Eastern Railway and has a high footfall of passengers.
Jharkhand is witnessing a rise in child trafficking cases, the child help desk will help in curbing it.
The DRM informed that there were 95 minors rescued at Bokaro Railway Station by Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the past three years.
The trafficking figures and runaway has increased during the Covid pandemic as locals here are lured for job opportunities outside the state. This leads to their exploitation. Bokaro is the only railway station of Adra Railway Division that falls in Jharkhand.
Divisional Railway Manager, Navin Kumar along with Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Migom Doley inaugurated the Child Help Desk in presence of other officers of railway and RPF.
The members of Childline also participate in the function. Child Help Desk is being set up by railway but will be run by Childline, an NGO working for child labour, child trafficking, child abuse, homeless child, etc. The railways has installed the kiosk near RPF Booth. The staff of Childline will remain available round-the-clock.
“Child Help desks are being set up at railway stations to rescue children found wandering alone in trains or at stations. It aims at eradicating the exploitation of children and giving them protection and legal assistance,” said the DRM. Childline will extend protection and legal aid to children arriving by train besides helping find missing children.
“The child help desk is set for those needing assistance including lost, abandoned, trafficked, and runaway children,” said Migom Doley.
Officer in-charge of RPF Post, Bokaro, Rajkumar Sao said "in Adra division, a total of 124 Lady RPF (consisting of 9 SIs, 03 ASI's and 104 Constable) personnel have been posted out of which 03 lady SIs and 26 lady constables at Bokaro, who are working in team of Meri Saheli and Nanhe Farishetey as well as escorting of trains."
In the year-2019, RPF had rescued a total of 111 boys and girls (72 Boys and 39 Girls) out of which 21 (12 Boys & 09 Girls) were rescued at Bokaro. In the year 2020, total 47 (32 Boys and 15 Girls) minors have been rescued out of which 08 (04 Boys & 07 Girls including 03 adults female) were rescued at Bokaro. Then the frequency of train movement was restricted due to lockdown.
In the year 2021 up to July 27, a total 103 (44 Boys and 59 Girls) were rescued by RPF out of which 66 (27 Boys including 03 adult male and 39 Girls including 18 adult female) were rescued in Bokaro. Apart from that the cases of crime against passengers have been reduced.
