WCD to have more consultations on draft Trafficking Bill

Women and Child Development Ministry, which faced severe criticism over its draft Trafficking Bill, has decided to conduct more consultations with various stakeholders on the proposed law, according to a senior ministry official.
The Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill was made public in May, following which the ministry had invited comments from various stakeholders till June 30.
While several non-government organisations (NGOs) had dubbed the proposed legislation as "vague" and "full of loopholes", some organisations had raised concern over the "lack of clarity" on certain points of the draft.
"The Draft Bill was a Statement of Intent. Based on the feedback received we have made certain changes and prepared a revised draft," the WCD official said.

The ministry would invite consultations from various stakeholders on the proposed legislation in August, the official said.
The National Coalition to Protect Our Children (NCPOC), an umbrella organisation comprising several NGOs working in the field, had initially sought an extension of the June 30 deadline to submit comments on the draft.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar, a member of NCPOC, had said, "The bill suffers from several legislative and procedural flaws."
Several NGOs had questioned that how a draft meant to become a legislation on trafficking did not even define the term "trafficking".
Many even wondered whether the new legislation would replace the existing Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) or would the new law exist along with the old one.

In its submission to the ministry, an NGO, HAQ Centre for Child Rights, had written: "One does not know whether the Bill was in addition to ITPA or a replacement of ITPA. If (it is) a replacement of ITPA, the provision of ITPA must find a place in the Bill."
Several activists, like Amod Kanth from Prayas, even claimed that the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, has stronger provisions for rehabilitation of trafficked children than the new draft bill.
NGOs had also demanded clarity on how funds would be procured for implementing the proposed trafficking law. In its current form the draft says that a fund will be created by the government and adds that "voluntary donations and contributions" may too be made by individuals and organisations.

Bharati Ali of HAQ: Centre for Child Rights had objected to this, saying in the past there has been reluctance on the part of government officials in accepting donations for a public fund.
Both Bharati Ali and Rajeev Chandrashekhar have also demanded separate legislations for women and children.