The Maharashtra Government has approved a payment of Rs 5.07 crore to strengthen Anti-Human Trafficking Cells

The Maharashtra Government approved funding of Rs 507 lakh for payment for the development and enhancement of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) under a 100 percent centrally funded plan on Wednesday in order to combat incidences of trafficking of women and children in the state. Currently, the police department has established 45 AHTCs around the state, in all districts and commissionerates. The government approved 573 police officer positions in the state's 11 commissionerates and 34 district police offices in August of last year.

 

While hearing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Rescue Foundation, an NGO that works to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking, a division bench of the High Court, led by chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, was informed that the PIL was seeking implementation of the amended Anti-Human Trafficking Law and that despite the state government's plan to set up AHTCs in every district, only 12 had been established.

 

"While AHTCs were present in Mumbai, Thane Rural, Thane City, Pune, Sangli, Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Navi Mumbai, Solapur city, Beed, Kolhapur and Yavatmal until August of last year, there was a need to establish them in other areas. AHTCs are currently located in 11 commissionerates and 34 district police offices around the state. The state's nodal official for the newly constituted AHTCs has been named Special Inspector General of Police, Prevention of Crime Against Women and Children "According to a police officer from the Director General's office.

 

"The State Government has received the monies and has granted its consent for them to be disbursed. We were eager to work with other countries to improve inter-state cooperation in the areas of trafficking victim rescue, rehabilitation, safe return, transfer, and reintegration, as well as prosecution of perpetrators.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @CMOMaharashtra