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Although human trafficking is still rampant in Bihar, but the state government's initiatives to check it are showing some results.
The latest official figures compiled by the Bihar police states that they have rescued 350 children and 127 women from the clutches of human traffickers in the last three years.
"After the state government launched Bihar Human Traffic Prevention Programme, the police have rescued 350 children and 127 women from clutches of human traffickers. All the victims of human trafficking were rehabilitated after being rescued," Bihar Director General of Police Neelmani told rediff.com over telephone in Patna on Monday.
Most of the rescued victims are minors, the report reveals. Suman Lal of the Prayas Bharati Trust, working for the implementation of Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, said it was common that the trafficked boys usually ended up working in dhabas and girls in brothel houses.
Police officials admitted that Bihar has registered an alarming rise in cases of human trafficking in recent years. It was 21 in 2007, 55 in 2008, 39 in 2009 and 59 in 2010. However, till May this year, the number of such cases was only 8.
Bihar Social Welfare Minister Parveen Amanullah said that the state government launched the Human Trafficking Prevention Programme in 2007-08 for checking illegal marketing of women and child labourers and to ensure a comprehensive rehabilitation package.
The state's plan of action, christened as Astitva, with a vision towards a 'trafficking free Bihar' was approved by the government three years ago.
The state government has adopted a programme to have special focus on the trafficking-prone districts like Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj, Araria, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, East Champaran and West Champaran. A district-level anti-human trafficking cell has been constituted in 26 districts under supervision of the district magistrates.
A state-level anti-human trafficking cell has been formed, which is headed by the chief secretary.
According to additional director general (police headquarters) Rajvardhan Sharma, special programmes for policemen are being organised from time to time for imparting training to react instantly the moment a case of human trafficking comes to their notice.