Haryana moves to end child begging racket

State launches SMILE-backed Rescue and Rehabilitation Drive

Chandigarh, August 14- In a decisive move to dismantle organised begging rackets and protect vulnerable children from exploitation, the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) has rolled out a state-backed rescue and rehabilitation initiative under the Union Government’s SMILE scheme (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise).

A State-level Inter-Departmental Meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Women and Child Development Department (WCD), Haryana, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, brought together top police, child protection, health, labour, and social welfare officers to target the root causes of child begging and create a clear roadmap for its eradication.

He said that child begging is not an isolated act of poverty in many cases, it is a criminally organised industry where children are forced into the streets by cartels, traffickers, or even relatives for monetary gain. It strips children of education, exposes them to abuse, and traps them in lifelong cycles of vulnerability.

The Panchkula Pilot — Three Phases to Break the Cycle:

The first phase is mapping the Problem; Joint mapping of begging hotspots — traffic lights, religious places, and markets — by District Administration, WCD, and NGOs, Headcount of child beggars and identification of orphans, abandoned children, or those without family support. Second phase is Swift Rescue and Protection; District Task Force to rescue children in immediate need of shelter, Cases to be presented before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for legal protection, and Social Investigation Reports prepared under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, leading to personalised rehabilitation plans and, in third phase Long-Term Rehabilitation and Tracking; it will focus on preventing re-victimisation and trafficking, Regular monitoring of rehabilitated children and education, skills training, and family reintegration wherever possible. The meeting recognised that begging in many urban centres operates under well-structured rackets, exploiting children as income sources. The pilot aims not just to remove children from the streets but to dismantle these criminal networks through police action, intelligence sharing, and coordinated follow-up.

Sh. Sudhir Rajpal said that child begging is an exploitation of innocence and a violation of basic human rights. Haryana is committed to breaking this vicious cycle through rescue, rehabilitation, and strict action against those who profit from it. He further said that a follow-up meeting will be held in 15 days to assess progress, review the first rescue operations, and finalise strategies for scaling the model across the state.

DCP Crime and Traffic, Panchkula, Sh. Manpreet Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, Smt. Nisha and other officers remained present during the meeting.

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DGP Haryana Reviews Emergency Response Vehicle Operations, Issues Directions to Improve Response Time

Chandigarh, August 14 – Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Sh. Shatrujeet Kapur held a meeting with senior officers to review the functioning and performance of Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) with the aim of enhancing their efficiency. On the occasion, the DGP stated clearly that providing quick, reliable, and high-quality service to the public during emergencies is the police’s top priority, and ERVs must be continuously strengthened to achieve this goal.

In the meeting, the DGP said that ERVs are the face of the police’s first response, and to maintain public trust, their services must be fast, accurate, and sensitive. He directed the officers present to continuously improve ERV efficiency by reducing response time, providing regular staff training, and strengthening technical monitoring. He further clarified that each vehicle is monitored 24/7 by Police Headquarters, and no negligence or indiscipline will be tolerated. The meeting also discussed in detail the performance parameters set for ERV personnel.

Reviewing the average response time of ERVs across districts, the DGP directed concerned officers to prepare concrete and time-bound action plans to further reduce it. He stressed that delayed ERV responses not only affect the image of the police but also hinder timely assistance to victims.

Performance Analysis through Data and Dashboard

During the meeting, representatives of the Haryana 112 team gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation on dashboard and data analysis systems. They explained how each ERV’s location, speed, response time, and call handling are tracked in real time. Based on this data, the efficiency of each vehicle is assessed and areas needing improvement are identified.

Training for ERV Staff

The presentation also mentioned that a special training program on the “Audit Module of ERV” has been organised for ERV nodal officers and ERSS staff in each district. The training includes live demonstrations of the module, its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and first-aid guidelines.

Sh. Kapur said ERVs are the backbone of public safety and emergency services. Haryana Police’s goal is to ensure that emergency responses are not only quick but also of high quality and humane in approach. Continuous improvement will be made on all three fronts—technology, training, and monitoring.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sh. Sanjay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic & National Highways) Sh. Hardeep Doon, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Sh. Simardeep Singh, and several other senior officers were present during the meeting

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Pending hospital payments being processed without delay: State Health Authority

In last 7 days, Rs 170 crore released to empanelled hospitals in state

Chandigarh, August 14 — The State Health Authority (SHA), Haryana, has clarified on the recent concerns regarding the call for withdrawal of services by empanelled private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) from 7th August, 2025.

In response to communications from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, a spokesperson of the SHA said all pending payments to empanelled healthcare providers are being processed and disbursed strictly in accordance with the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) methodology. The SHA has assured that all outstanding dues will be settled without delay.

The SHA has also addressed multiple legitimate requests raised by IMA and participating hospitals. These include inclusion of hospital and IMA representatives in the State Empanelment Committee, State Grievance Redressal Committee, and District Grievance Redressal Committees and adoption of the latest package master, to ensure transparency and better operational alignment.

As of now, claims submitted up to the 2nd week of June 2025 have been paid. Since the inception of the scheme, over ₹3,050 crore has been disbursed to hospitals. For the current financial year 2025–26, up to 13th August 2025, approximately ₹480 crore has been received from the Central and State Governments and has been fully utilized for eligible claim settlements. In the last 7 days, Rs. 170 crore have been released to empanelled hospitals in the state.

The spokesperson said claims are processed through the NHA’s online platform by a team of 60 doctors, using an impartial and transparent allocation system that randomly assigns cases to processors. All deductions are strictly made per NHA guidelines, and only when there is insufficient clinical justification or documentation.

Hospitals are given an opportunity to upload supporting documents including vital charts, OT notes, clinical images, and lab reports before any claim is rejected or deducted. In case of disagreement, hospitals may appeal through the portal, and such appeals are reviewed by a Medical Audit Committee.

Regarding hospital empanelment and NABH incentives, all hospitals that received NABH incentive approvals via HEM 1.0 will continue to be eligible, provided their NABH certifications are valid. Hospitals applying a new must submit updated documentation via the HEM 2.0 portal, and these applications are being reviewed on priority.

The spokesperson said a large number of private hospitals across the state have distanced themselves from IMA’s service withdrawal call and continue to provide services. On an average, 2500 ‘pre-auths’ per day are being registered by empanelled hospitals with private hospitals raising pre-auth of Rs. 2 Crore approx. per day on average.

A recent grievance was received regarding denial of treatment to a beneficiary in Rewari. The SHA acted promptly by issuing a show-cause notice. The hospital clarified that cashless treatment is being provided under the scheme and admitted patient under the scheme. Any violation/denial of treatment report shall be dealt strictly by State Health Authority as per the rules and guidelines.

The SHA emphasized that there is no valid basis for any disruption or withdrawal of services under AB PM-JAY, as all raised issues have been effectively addressed.