New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that Berhampur railway station in Ganjam district of Odisha has turned into a major transit point for human trafficking from Bihar to Andhra Pradesh. 

As per the report, during the year 2022, a total of 343 children were rescued from the station but neither they nor their families were provided with the benefits of various Government welfare schemes for rehabilitation. The Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued them but the persons behind their plight evaded arrest.

In a statement issued on January 6, the NHRC observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of the human rights of the victims. Accordingly, it has issued notices calling for reports within six weeks from the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of Bihar, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, the Secretary, Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Chairman, Railway Board.

It has further observed that the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act of 1986 has been in force for over three decades; the National Plan of Action to Combat of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children was formulated by the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development in 1998; and, the NHRC’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Combating Trafficking Persons in India circulated to all the authorities in 2017  but nothing seems to have changed on the ground.

The reports of the Director Generals of Police of the three States are expected to include the status of the implementation of SOP issued by the NHRC, how many cases have been registered for child trafficking during the last 3 years; the outcome of the investigation, and the conviction, if any. The DGP, Odisha must also specify in the report whether any arrest has been made in the incidents mentioned in the media report, and if not what steps have been taken to this effect, said the NHRC in the statement.

According to the statement, Secretary, Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, has to submit a report about the mechanism that has already been adopted or is likely to be adopted to completely eradicate child trafficking in view of the constitutional provision, and the law in force. The report from the Centre should also mention the steps being taken or likely to be taken with regard to the implementation of the Central Advisory Committee recommendations for the prevention of the trafficking of a child, starting from the pre-rescue stage to the post-rescue operations, and the rehabilitation as well as the other measures, said the statement. /BI/