AP Congress extends support for ToP Bill 2018 in Parliament

Ongole: The representatives from the HELP NGO, Vimukti and NATSAP meet the All India Congress Committee general secretary Oomen Chandy and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy here and requested them to mount pressure on the Union government to introduce Trafficiking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018 in the monsoon session of the Parliament. 

They announced that the Congress would support the prosecution of traffickers and would prepare an action plan after consulting with the high command.

HELP NGO, Vimukti and NATSAP representatives BV Sagar and NVS Murthy met the senior Congress leaders in the district party office and explained them that India was in sixth position in the world for human trafficking and the Telugu states occupy the second and third positions in the country. 

They let them know that the Cabinet approved Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018 would initiate concrete steps to control the illegal trafficking, provide protection and rehabilitation to the victims. 

If the bill was passed in the Parliament, they said, the state and Central government agencies would work in sync to provide various services to the victims as well as see the trial was complete in fixed time.

They clarified the leaders that the ToP Bill, 2018 was not cancelling any existing Acts but touches the definition of illegal trafficking 370 (1) of IPC, 1973 CRPC, IT Act 2000, Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and others and would be distant to the common criticism on existing Immoral Traffic Prevention Act. 

They emphasised the need of the ToP Bill 2018 and requested them to build pressure on the Central government and cooperate in the passing of it in the monsoon session of the Parliament.

Oomen Chandy and Raghuveera Reddy assured them that their party was completely against the human trafficking and would explain the importance of the bill to high command and see the Congress MPs support the bill in Parliament.