PANAJI
They once sneaked through traffic signals with outstretched palms, dotted the beaches and stood under the sweltering sun. But now, officially at least, not a single child beggar has been found in Goa in 2025.
The surprising ‘zero’ rescues come after four years wherein 75 children were rescued from the streets and placed in protective homes. But far from suggesting a miraculous turnaround, the data has instead raised alarm bells – at a time when the High Court of Bombay at Goa is hearing the contentious issue.
Reliable sources, however, stated that around seven child beggars including those from Rajasthan were rescued in the coastal belt, this year so far.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which has kept the issue on judicial radar, drew a sharp observation from the court. The Bench stated that merely registering offenses was not enough and asked the State to dig deeper into the root causes of child begging.
Petitioner Advocate Moses Pinto sought more than token action: a dedicated task force, rescue operations, temporary shelters, access to education and public awareness campaigns.
Executive Secretary of the Council for Social Justice and Peace Fr Savio Fernandes added that child beggars are at every major junction be it Margao, Verna, Cortalim, Majorda, Colva, or beaches.
“Rescue operations happen but these same children come back. What happens after the rescue?” Fernandes questioned as he expressed concern about the government’s handling of the issue.
The pattern of rescue numbers tells its own story. Just five children were rescued in 2021, then 21 in 2022. The numbers dipped to nine in 2023, only to surge to 40 in 2024. And now, at least as per official records, the number stands at zero for 2025 till March.
Fr Fernandes has attributed this disconnect to the absence of sustained follow-up and the lack of a long-term rehabilitation plan. “Most of these children are from other States. There needs to be inter-State coordination, education plans, housing and employment options for the families. Otherwise, the cycle continues,” he stated.
GOACAN had also been taking up the matter with the respective District Collectors and meetings were convened to discuss an Action Plan.
“The matter before the High Court is a wakeup call for the government to act. There is a need for a State and District Action Plan which will involve the Departments of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, Tourism, District Police, the respective Law Colleges and Civil Society organizations,” GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins suggested.
As the Rules of 1975 under the Goa, Daman and Diu Prevention of Begging Act 1972 have not specified the responsibilities of the respective departments to set up a beggar home, appoint an advisory committee, etc; the NGO urged the government to act on it.
The timing of this apparent vacuum in child protection coincides with the defunct Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Inactive for over 10 months since the previous committee’s term ended, the file for reconstituting it has been languishing since December 2024. “The file is pending with the government. The WCD is following it up,” a source confirmed.
Martins added that if the action plan does not take off before the upcoming tourism season, the consequences could be serious.
He also cited that adult beggars using children and infants as tools of sympathy has long plagued Goa’s tourist-facing public spaces.
