135,000 women, 61,000 children remain untraced; 150 investigative units approved: Govt

With 1,35,000 women and 61,000 children continue to be missing in the country, government today said it has approved the setting up of 150 specialised investigative units on crimes against women across the country.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in Lok Sabha that a comprehensive scheme to strengthen the enforcement of law against human trafficking has been sanctioned since 2010-11 by the Home Ministry wherein 225 anti-human trafficking units have been set up throughout the country.

"The Home Ministry has approved setting up of 150 specialised investigative units on crimes against women in states and union territories with 50:50 fund sharing," he said during Question Hour.

Chaudhary said the Home Ministry had advised the states and UTs to take up a month-long campaign titled 'Operation Smile' in January and 'Operation Muskan' in July, leading to the rescue of 9,146 and 19,742 missing children respectively.

The Minister said as on November 30, a total of 135,356 missing women were untraced and 61,444 missing children were untraced.

As per the official record, till December-end 2014, 95,939 women and 45,675 children remained untraced.