Officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Ahmedabad police said the children were being cautious fearing “legal consequences”.

On the second day of the annual Shala Praveshotsav, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi “enrolled” around 300 students in various schools of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). These students include around 20 children who were rescued from begging in different parts of the city by authorities on Tuesday during a joint drive.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanghavi said that the programme could provide inspiration to other states and cities.

“Today, I congratulate the Ahmedabad police and I thank them on behalf of these children. I can see a spirit of doing something good in the eyes of these children. Since 2022, Ahmedabad police and the AMC have jointly freed 276 children from begging and providing them with education in Signal Schools. For that, although there is no such protocol, I salute Gujarat police and Ahmedabad police on behalf of all the members of the society,” the Home Minister said.

He also congratulated Ahmedabad police for rescuing and reuniting around 33 children from different states, who were forced into begging in Gujarat as part of a racket, with their families.

The Deputy CM requested teachers to perform their duty earnestly in providing warmth and affection to such children since many of them have perhaps never received their parents’ care.

“For these children, school is a new world. Give them the same treatment which you give to your sons and daughters at home. Give them warmth and affection. They are very new. All of you will have to make some sacrifice and extra effort to help them get set in the new atmosphere…Don’t treat it as official work. Also never consider it as a responsibility given by the government,” he added.

According to a state government release, a total of 303 students were given admission in the schools at the function chaired by Sanghavi on Wednesday. These include 20 who were rescued from begging, 233 children of Signal Schools and 50 new admissions. Signal Schools are the schools under a scheme of the AMC for out-of-school children rescued from city streets.

Director General of Police G S Malik and AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, among others, attended the event, held at Thaltej Anupam Primary School of the AMC.

Pani said the children who were into begging have been enrolled into school with the joint efforts of Ahmedabad city police, AMC and Social Justice and Empowerment Department of Gujarat government.

During the function, officers of AHTU who performed well were felicitated by the Deputy CM.

In-Charge head of AHTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police Himala Joshi, who was among the officers felicitated at the event, told The Indian Express that their squads regularly carry out drives to rescue children begging on the streets of the city as per their SOP.

“For three days – June 22, 23, 24 – we had carried out intensive drives in coordination with the AMC, Social Justice and Empowerment Department and Health Department to send out a message among those who get involved in such activity (of begging). Recently, Ahmedabad city has been ranked among the safest cities of India. And the effort is to make the city safe and inclusive for all including children…It is also to ensure that no criminal activity is done under the guise of begging in the city,” said Joshi.

She said that after rescuing adult beggars, the authorities after their production before court, counsel and help them learn some skills to earn a dignified income. Joshi said that they target to make Ahmedabad beggar-free by 2030 when the city is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time.