Assam has 230 street children

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Northeastern States may be lagging behind other States of the country in many spheres, but barring Assam to some extent, they are well ahead when it comes to creating a milieu which minimizes the presence of destitute children on the streets.

According to sources in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), street children are classified under three categories in its Baal Swaraj-CISS portal. These categories are: children living on the streets with their families; children staying on the streets during the day and returning home to their families who reside in nearby slums/hutments; and children living on the streets all alone without support.

In the case of Assam, as on February 15 this year there were 48 children living on the streets with their families. A total of 151 children were also living on the streets who return to their nearby homes at night. Further, there were 31 children in the State who were living on the streets without support.

Among the other Northeastern States, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Mizoram had no street children at all, as on February 15 this year. Meghalaya had five children who were living on the streets but returning to their nearby homes at night, while Nagaland had one such child. Tripura had two street children who were living on the streets but returning home at night, along with 14 children who were living on the streets all alone without support.

The sources informed that as per a directive of the Supreme Court, all States and Union Territories have uploaded data regarding street children in their territory on the Baal Swaraj-CISS portal.

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