Team Goemkarponn
PORVORIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has signalled its intention to examine broader measures to address child begging in the State, while calling for detailed information from police authorities on children rescued from begging and action taken against those responsible for exploiting them.
The observations were made on Wednesday by a Division Bench comprising Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Hiten S. Venegavkar during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Moses Pinto, highlighting concerns over the increasing visibility of child beggars in Goa.
During the proceedings, Advocate General Devidas Pangam informed the court that the issue required a sensitive approach, particularly as several of the children involved were believed to be from outside Goa. He pointed out that enforcement agencies could not simply act against the children themselves and that any intervention would need to focus on parents, guardians, or others responsible for compelling them to beg.
Pangam further suggested that the government could work with a non-governmental organisation to support efforts aimed at rescuing, rehabilitating and protecting affected children.
Pinto told the court that he had identified a number of organisations that could assist in the initiative. Taking note of the suggestion, the Bench asked him to engage with the State authorities on the matter.
The petitioner also proposed a series of measures aimed at reducing child begging. These included encouraging the public to offer food or drinking water instead of money to persons seeking alms. He also referred to practices followed in another state and suggested that authorities explore legal provisions to discourage the giving of cash alms.
The court, however, refrained from expressing any view on the proposals at this stage. Instead, it directed the Superintendents of Police of North and South Goa to submit details of rescue operations involving child beggars, along with information on criminal cases registered against individuals accused of forcing children into begging.
The Bench observed that it would review the information placed before it and thereafter consider issuing wider directions to tackle the problem more effectively across the State.
The PIL has been scheduled for further hearing on June 23.
