Bengal to lauch anti-trafficking committees

Kolkata, July 17 (IANS) The West Bengal government Thursday launched guidelines for forming Child Protection Committees (CPCs) across all villages of the state to maintain vigilance and monitor child trafficking, officials said.

The technical support for the efforts will be provided by Unicef.

The CPCs will fortify child protection at the gram panchayat, village, block, city and district levels under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), a centrally-sponsored programme for child protection, being implemented across the country from 2009-10.

"All of this was on paper, but today we have launched the guidelines formally. Now, notifications will be issued at all levels and they will be instructed to form the committees. These will work in parallel to other such initiatives," Shashi Panja, state woman and child welfare minister, said here.

The committees would include public health workers, NGOs like Save The Children along with members of the community and they will work in tandem with the police.

"The problem is just not restricted to the state... due to its location, bordering Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, the magnitude is immense. CPCs will ensure the strictest vigilance," said Asadur Rahman, Chief of Field Office, Unicef, West Bengal.

Earlier this year, the state had set up an anti-human trafficking task force. It has also inked a deal with Maharashtra to combat the menace.