Missing Girls: Operation Trace Launched in Andhra Pradesh
The launch event was attended by additional DGP Madhusudhan Reddy, IGP and in-charge of the women and child safety wing B Rajakumari, women protection cell SP Sridevi Rao among others.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has launched Operation Trace, a special initiative aimed at locating missing girls in the state and reuniting them with their families.
State DGP HarishGupta unveiled the initiative's poster at his office on Thursday. He said the women and child safety wing of the police would conduct a special drive from August 1 to 31 as part of attempts to check incidents of abduction and disappearance of girls.
The key components of Operation Trace are as follows: Trace (T) refers to identifying missing girls using various resources such as the crime and criminals’ tracking network and systems (CCTNS), the Mission Vatsalya Portal, facial recognition technologies, transportation hubs, shelters, border check posts, besides collaborations with NGOs. Surveillance will be established in high-risk areas with the help of female police officers.
Reconnect (R): Providing temporary shelter for rescued girls and coordinating with relevant Child Welfare Committees (CWC) to reunite them with their families.
Assist (A): Offering immediate medical care, food, housing, clothing, legal aid as also conducting age determination and documentation for their identification.
Counsel (C): Engaging counselors through NGOs to address the psychological issues faced by the affected girls.
Empower (E): Facilitating education, skill training, career guidance, and access to government welfare schemes.
The DGP said the operation would commence with data collection in districts and sub-divisions from August 1 to 2. Between August 3 and 10, inspections of NGOs and government-run shelters will take place, along with the re-verification of relevant FIRs, utilizing technology such as facial recognition, DNA tests, and Aadhar data for age-related information.
From August 11 to 30, special checks will be conducted in railway stations, bus terminals, places of worship and red-light areas, in partnership with the community through the FIND HER initiative.”
Harish Gupta asked the public to give information regarding missing children by calling 112, the Child Helpline at 1098, the Women's Helpline at 181, and the Shakti WhatsApp number at 7993485111.
He said awareness programmes would be held in schools and 'Shakti Warriors' groups formed comprising five girls per classroom to educate them about 'Good Touch and Bad Touch' and necessary precautions.
The launch event was attended by additional DGP Madhusudhan Reddy, IGP and in-charge of the women and child safety wing B Rajakumari, women protection cell SP Sridevi Rao among others.
