Seeks govt reply and petitioner's suggestions
PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has highlighted the need to address the root causes of child begging and prohibit this illegal activity rather than merely registering offenses.
Continuing its hearing on the Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Moses Pinto, the Court also stated that a holistic solution is required to combat the issue while seeking a government reply.
“… merely stating that offenses have been registered under the Goa Prevention of Begging Act, 1972 as well as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015 does not offer any solution. It is necessary that the root cause of this menace has to be tapped and attention be focused to prohibit this activity of begging from being carried out and this definitely cannot be targeted by registering offenses against their parents but by finding a wholesome solution to the issue,” the Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Nivedita Mehta said.
The court also appreciated concerns raised by Pinto over underprivileged children forced into begging at traffic signals across the State, stating it violates their fundamental rights. The Bench sought suggestions from the petitioner on how to effectively tackle the matter and indicated that feasible recommendations could be considered for implementation by the government.
“We expect the Petitioner to give his suggestions to address the issue raised in the petition as he claimed to be a public-spirited advocate as depending upon his suggestions we may ask the government to implement them if they are feasible,” it said.
The PIL sought directives for the authorities to rescue children pushed into begging, implement child protection measures under the Juvenile Justice Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and provide temporary shelters as well as educational access. The petitioner also called for constituting a task force to prevent child exploitation in public places and launch awareness campaigns to sensitize the public.
The matter will be taken up again in four weeks after the petitioner submits his suggestions. The petition, accompanied with photographic evidence highlighted a surge in child beggars during the peak tourist season while also citing reports of adult beggars exploiting minors to gain sympathy from commuters.
