State’s first intensive child centre ready in Dehradun to support rescued children
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Uttarakhand’s first intensive child centre equipped with modern facilities is now ready in Dehradun to integrate children rescued from begging and child labour into the mainstream education system, the Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal said. The centre is located at Sadhu Ram Inter College on Raja Road.
The DM chaired a review meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday and discussed ongoing efforts of the district child protection unit under the campaign for the prevention and elimination of child begging. The officials informed the DM that every Tuesday, a medical team from the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) visits the centre to conduct routine health checkups and monitor the physical development of the enrolled children.
According to the district probation officer Meena Bisht, 174 children involved in begging, labour or rag-picking were rescued between December 2024 and April 2025. Among them, 47 were involved in begging, 47 in child labour and 72 in rag-picking. Eight other children were rescued under different conditions. Of these, 146 children have been enrolled as external students at the intensive child centre, including 82 boys and 64 girls. She further informed that the administration has signed memorandums of understanding with NGOs including Aasra Trust, Samarpan Society and others to operate open shelter homes.
The DM instructed the probation officer to develop detailed Requests for Tenders (RFTs) outlining the required standards and facilities at these homes. The district administration will supervise their functioning, he said. He also stated that the responsibility of rescuing and rehabilitating children is not only administrative but also moral. He said the administration remains committed to making the district free of child labour and begging by connecting every rescued child to formal education.
