AP Govt acting tough on traffickers: DGP

Amaravati: The state government has been taking several steps to prevent human trafficking in the state, said director general of police M Malakondaiah. Woman and child welfare department conducted a workshop on human trafficking in the Secretariat on Monday. Malakondaiah said human trafficking was a serious problem and the government was taking all necessary steps to tackle the problem.

He said the police department was considering sex workers as victims and was not registering cases against them. Responding to some questions of delegates in the workshop, Malakondaiah said some issues related to human trafficking can be resolved at district level by consulting district collectors and other officials.

Minal Patel Davis, adviser on human trafficking to the Mayor of Houston, USA, explained the steps they were taking to control human trafficking and issues of sex workers. She said around 1,200 health workers were given special training on problems of sex workers which helps to work more efficiently with an in-depth understanding over the problems of human trafficking victims.

The delegates said people of oppressed and weaker sections are the major victims of human trafficking. They suggested that the government take tough action against the accused who induce women in the guise of providing job opportunities in the Gulf countries or other places. The brokers were cheating the women and minor girls and shifting them to the brothels in Mumbai, Pune and other cities.