Missing children: SC summons Odisha Chief Secy, DGP

Expressing concern over "dismal" performance of Odisha in tracing out missing children, the Supreme Court today summoned Chief Secretary and DGP of the state.
A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu asked the state to explain failure on its part in tracing the missing children. It also pulled up Tripura government on the issue.
It said the police is not finding out missing children because they come from poor families and the states are not concerned about the issue.
The bench, which is examining the issue of missing children state wise, had earlier summoned the Chief Secretary and the DGP of Bihar and Chhattisgarh to explain as to what action they have been taking after noting that the states are not implementing its order for registering FIRs in such cases.

In a stern warning to all states, the apex court had in October asked them not to make a "tamasha" (drama) of the issue and take effective action.
Senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, said many states have not provided data and compliance report of the apex court's earlier direction on the issue.

The Supreme Court had passed a slew of directions on the NGO's PIL alleging that over 1.7 lakh children have gone missing in the country between January 2008-2010, many of whom were kidnapped for trafficking in flesh trade and child labour.
It had directed that FIR should be registered as soon as information regarding a missing child is received by the police.

Further, a photograph of the child be uploaded on the 'Child Track' website, it had said, adding that there should be a juvenile welfare officer in every police station in the country.