Gandhinagar, March 9 (NationPress) In a significant update, the Gujarat government reported to the state Assembly that it has successfully located 196 out of 198 children who were reported missing from the Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts over the last two years.

During a discussion regarding missing children and women, Minister of State for Law and Justice, Kaushik Vekariya, revealed that there were 152 reported cases of missing children in Junagadh and 46 in Gir Somnath during this timeframe.

“The police have successfully traced all 46 missing children from Gir Somnath and reunited them with their families. In Junagadh, 150 children have been accounted for, while efforts are still ongoing to locate the remaining two,” he stated.

The minister emphasized that the state police approaches cases of missing children and women with utmost care and urgency, recognizing that a child's disappearance profoundly impacts families. “For any family, their child is their greatest treasure. The absence of a child feels like a calamity for the family,” he articulated.

Vekariya further informed the Assembly that the initial 24 hours after a person goes missing are deemed the “golden hours.”

“If a complaint is lodged during this critical time, police swiftly implement various measures such as reviewing CCTV footage, disseminating information via social media, tracking mobile records, and conducting thorough checks at transport hubs like railway stations, bus terminals, and major highways,” he explained.

Moreover, Gujarat has effectively utilized the Central government’s 'Mission Vatsalya portal' to facilitate the reunion of children with their families. Whenever an unidentified child is located, their photograph is uploaded to the portal, which automatically matches it against the database of missing children.

According to the minister, data from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2023 positions Gujarat at 27th in the national rankings for crimes against children, indicating a relatively low incidence of child-related crimes compared to other states.

In a separate response in the Assembly, Vekariya highlighted the implementation of the 'Student Police Cadet' scheme designed to promote discipline, civic responsibility, and legal awareness among school students. This initiative aims to cultivate skills, self-discipline, and empathy towards all community members from an early age. It targets students in Classes 8 and 9 from selected government and grant-aided schools.

Participants in the first year are categorized as junior students, while second-year participants are designated as senior students. Each cohort comprises a platoon of 44 students, evenly split between boys and girls.

Students engage in a blend of indoor and outdoor training, with four classes in each category held weekly, summing up to 240 hours of training annually.

“Indoor activities encompass competitions focusing on crime prevention and social issue awareness, whereas outdoor training includes programs on de-addiction, cleanliness campaigns, road safety, traffic awareness, environmental protection, and tree planting,” the minister remarked.

Vekariya concluded by stating that over the past two years, a total of Rs 121.65 lakh has been invested in Surat district and Rs 107.92 lakh in Bharuch district for the comprehensive development of students under this scheme.