Bhubaneswar: In a concerning disclosure, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi informed the state assembly on Monday that between 2020 and 2024, a total of 36,420 women and 8,403 children have been reported missing in the state. Additionally, 421 women and girls were trafficked across state borders by illicit middlemen, leading to the arrest of 453 individuals involved in these activities.
Efforts to address this crisis have resulted in the rescue of 1,417 women and 1,857 children during the same period. Furthermore, interventions against child labour led to the rescue of 748 children. These statistics underscore the urgent need for enhanced measures to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable populations in Odisha.
The state government has been implementing various initiatives to tackle this issue, including the “Track Child Portal,” which enables tracking of missing and found children. However, the persistent high numbers indicate that more robust strategies and community awareness programs are essential to effectively address the root causes of this problem.
The data presented highlights a critical challenge that requires immediate and sustained action from both governmental and non-governmental organizations to ensure the safety and well-being of women and children in the region.
