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| About Us |
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| The West Bengal Task Force on RRRI was established in 2007 to facilitate and monitor the repatriation of Bangladeshi children lodged in shelter homes in West Bengal. Before the Task Force came into effect, there was no systematic process for the repatriation of Bangladeshi children lodged in shelter homes in West Bengal. Some would be repatriated by state, some by ngos and many were pushed back across the border without any formalities or safety precautions. There were several risks for children during push back like disassociation with family, exploitation by several touts and pimps etc. |
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| During the period 2008 to 2013, the Directorate of Social Welfare and now the Directorate of Child Rights and Trafficking is functioning as the Secretariat of the Task Force, and under its aegis, Operational Guidelines on Rescue-Recovery-Safe Return and Integration of Bangladeshi Children was designed and implemented, and a database mechanism was created for the tracking of the repatriation of these children. This facilitated an increased coordination between organizations and departmental functionaries tasked with looking after these children within the state, as well as cooperation between agencies involved in their repatriation on both sides of the border. |
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| In November 2013, the West Bengal Task Force was extended to include the Intelligence Bureau, Childline, members from the Juvenile Justice Board, as well as civil society participants. The most recent member to join the Task Force is a representative from the Bangladesh High Commission situated in Kolkata – a move that is expected to facilitate the family tracing and nationality verification of Bangladeshi women and children lodged in homes in West Bengal. |
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| In May 2014, the mandate of the Task Force underwent a major shift, with Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Governments of West Bengal and Maharashtra to enhance cooperation between the two states. This is a major step, given that Maharashtra is one of the major areas in which trafficked women and children from West Bengal are rescued. An inter-state meeting was recently held to review the implementation of procedures and strengthen interstate cooperation. |
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| The mandate of the Task Force is now comprehensive and includes handling cases of internal, inter-state and cross border trafficking, and the Task Force is considering MOUs on a similar basis with states where large number of trafficking victims from West Bengal are found. The Department of CD, WD & SW also identified nodal officers for prevention of trafficking and disseminated with all the states and union territories. Thus the inflow of information about children who belong to West Bengal but trafficked to other states are regular. The Task Force has facilitated return and reintegration of 126 such children to their family. |
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| During the period 2009 – 2015, over 582 Bangladeshi children have been successfully repatriated through the intervention of the Task Force, with the process following international and national protocols that govern the protection of children. Over 126 victims of internal trafficking rescued from various destination states. |
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| Objective of Task Force |
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To generate awareness on Human Trafficking at the district and State level; |
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To disseminate and exchange information with Non-Govt. Organizations, Police and Government Dept. within West Bengal , between West Bengal & Maharashtra and between India Bangladesh authorities to ensure safe return and integration of trafficked victims from Maharashtra; |
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To support the relevant authorities and focal Points to expedite tasks of the repatriation process of children of neighbouring foreign countries with special focus to Bangladesh according to the agreed time frame; |
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To monitor and up-date information regarding the movement and placement of Child Victims in West Bengal; |
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To monitor, oversee and expedite the repatriation process between West Bengal & Bangladesh and West Bengal &Maharashtra as well as other States; |
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To maintain regular liaison with Task Force of other States. |
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| Members in the Task Force |
| Sl. |
Name |
Designation |
| 1 |
Secretary, Dept. of women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal |
Chairperson |
| 2 |
Deputy Secretary/ Joint Secretary, Dept. of women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal |
Member |
| 3 |
Director, Directorate of Child Rights & Trafficking |
Member Convenor |
| 4 |
Deputy Director, Directorate of Child Rights & Trafficking |
Member |
| 5 |
I.G., Sashatra Seema Bal |
Member |
| 6 |
D.I.G, Criminal Investigation Department |
Member |
| 7 |
Joint CP Crime, Kolkata Police |
Member |
| 8 |
Superintendent of Railway Police, Howrah |
Member |
| 9 |
Joint Secretary, Home F & NRI Department |
Member |
| 10 |
Commissioner, Labour Department |
Member |
| 11 |
Commissioner, Panchayat and Rural Development Department |
Member |
| 12 |
Secretary, State Legal Service Authority |
Member |
| 13 |
Representative, Border Security Force, Eastern Regional Office |
Member |
| 14 |
Counsellor, Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh, Kolkata |
Member |
| 15 |
Senior Scientist, National Informatics Centre |
Member |
| 16 |
Dr. Bipasha Roy, Child Rights Activist & Ex-Member Juvenile Justice Board |
Member |
| 17 |
Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF |
Member |
| 18 |
Eastern Regional Head, Child Line India Foundation |
Member |
| 19 |
Executive Director, Jayaprakash Institute of Social Change |
Member |
| 20 |
Senior Representative, International Justice Mission |
Member |
| 21 |
Senior Representative, Sanlaap |
Member |
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