Parliament Question: Missing children and trafficking from West Bengal

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4309 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 MISSING CHILDREN AND TRAFFICKING FROM WEST BENGAL 4309. SHRI SAMIK BHATTACHARYA: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the number of children reported missing in West Bengal during each of the last five years as per NCRB data and the percentage traced and untraced; (b) whether West Bengal consistently figures among the top States for child trafficking cases and missing children and the reasons identified for this pattern; (c) the number of Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Care Institutions in West Bengal found non-functional or deficient during inspections under the Juvenile Justice Act; and (d) the Central funds released to West Bengal under Mission Vatsalya and the utilisation status? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) & (b): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on missing and recovered children in the country in its report ‘Crime In India’. The said report is available up to the year 2023 and may be seen at www.ncrb.gov.in/crime-in-india-year- wise.html?year=2023&keyword= . (c): In the State of West Bengal, 25 Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), 23 Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) and 208 Child Care Institutions (CCIs) were supported under Mission Vatsalya Scheme during the FY 2025-26. Inspection Committees are mandated under section 54 of JJ Act, 2015 to visit the facilities housing children in difficult circumstances. District Magistrate is the nodal authority in the district for children in need of care and protection and to take action on the findings of thereport submitted by the Inspection Committees. The Ministry regularly follows up with the State and Union Territory Governments and various advisories have been issued so as to ensure the effective implementation of Mission Vatsalya Scheme. Further, as per Section 106 of the JJ Act 2015, the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Act lies with the State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations. At the national and state level, the JJ Act provides the National/State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights to monitor the implementation of the Act (Section 109). (d): Rs.52.52 crores have been released to the State Government of West Bengal as part of central share under Mission Vatsalya, during financial year 2025-26. *****