Assam’s Panchayat polls: Political parties gear up for fierce grassroots battle
With panchayat elections in Assam approaching fast, political parties are ramping up their preparations, spurred by the recent publication of draft electoral rolls.
To check the increasing number of human trafficking cases in Assam, the government has planned to formulate a new law in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the new law will be introduced to protect those working as domestic help. He has claimed that this will ensure the safety of those people and bring down the cases of human trafficking.
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Once the law would be tabled in the assembly, the households in the state employing domestic help may have to undergo police proceedings and follow a series of accountability measures, Chief Minster informed the state assembly.
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Sarma further said, “There is a mindset among the people that human trafficking happens only when a child or teenager is taken to other states. But when the same person is taken out of his or her home to a different district or place inside the state boundary, we overlook it.”
Moreover, the Assam CM said that he believes that any child who is below 14 years and is separated from his or her parents is a kind of trafficking.
The new law would hold the persons accountable if any kind of untoward incident happens to the domestic help.
“The employers of domestic help will be responsible for a teenager’s education and health, as per the proposed law. People also have to mandatorily register their domestic help credentials with local police,” Sarma added.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Assam recorded 149 cases of human trafficking in which 379 victims were rescued.
The NCRB data has shown a constant rise in human trafficking cases in Assam over the last few years. In 2020, around 103 cases were registered in which 151 victims were rescued.
In 2021, Assam recorded the second highest number of human trafficking cases amongst all states in the country.
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