Gujarat Police traces missing children through 'Operation Muskan'

Vadodara, Jul 10: Gujarat Police and State Women and Child Development department (WCD) have jointly launched a month-long campaign 'Operation Muskan' to track missing children and reunite them with their families.

The campaign was started from July 1 and will stretch for the entire month in all cities of the state and directives have been issued to authorities concerned to carry out the campaign, State Director General of Police (DGP) P C Thakur said.

"We have directed through video-conferencing, police Commissioners of Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and other cities and IGs of all ranges and WCD officials in this regard," Thakur told PTI.

Under the campaign, the officials will be visiting neighbouring states and trace the missing children and reunite them with their families. Inspector Anil Pratham, who is part of the campaign in Vadodara said, "Police officials have been given training to identify the missing children. We have been supported by WCD and NGOs as well."

Inspector General, Baroda Range, Anoop Singh Gehlot said that in the first 10 days of the campaign, nine children, including four girls, below the age of 14 years, have been united with their families in seven districts of Baroda range.

"In addition to this, 60 children, 30 boys and as many girls, have been already reunited with their families from January 1 to June 30," he added.

The campaign is being undertaken in Surat as well and many children have been traced from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

PTI