The authorities in tribal dominated south Rajasthan have arrested 12 persons for trafficking 57 tribal children to work in BT cottonseed farms in neighbouring Gujarat. The police freed these children and booked a dozen middlemen involved in trafficking of children.
According to the police, the special task force constituted to stop migration of tribal children to Gujarat for working as labour in cottonseed farms, conducted raids at three places in Dungarpur and Udaipur and recovered 57 children on board three jeeps. The police seized three vehicles in this connection. ‘’The police raided a vehicle at Panvra carrying 14 children to Gujarat to work in cotton farm,” says Panvra (Udaipur district) police inspector Shivnath Singh. The police arrested Anil Kumar, Pawan Kumar and Babulal for their involvement in trafficking tribal children.
The Dungarpur police raided three places on Monday night and freed more than a dozen children. They had a meeting with Gujarat officials to stop migration.
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NAC to work on dip in rabi
Amit Agnihotri
New Delhi
Taking note of the drop in procurement in rabi crop 2010, Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) is working on ways to improve it in order to meet the requirements of the proposed National Food Security Act.
“Enhancing procurement is the main concern to sustain the entitlements being planned under the food security bill,” said NAC sources. Food ministry sources said procurement of wheat dropped from 25.3 million tonnes last year to 22.5 mt and that of rice came down from 33.6 mt in 2009 to 30 mt in the rabi season ending June 30.
Reduced grain arrivals in the mandis and low procurement by the government agencies are responsible for the drop, said sources.
NAC sources said foodgrain procurement averaging between 45 to 50 mt (including wheat and rice) for the past three years, would have to be increased significantly over the coming years. Admitting slackness on part of the government system, NAC sources said the various entitlements under the proposed food security bill can be met with around 60 mt procurement at current levels of production.