Govt prioritised, effortful to prevent human trafficking: PM Deuba

Nepal observes Bhadau 20 in the Nepali Calendar each year as the National Day against Human Trafficking and Smuggling.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that all the three tiers of the government were effortful towards preventing human trafficking which has developed as a blot on human civilisation itself.

The PM stated this in a message of best wishes he gave to a programme organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Human Trafficking Prevention Section on the occasion of the 15th National Day against Human Trafficking and Smuggling today.

"The Constitution of Nepal has made provision for prevention and control of human trafficking and the government is committed to this provision," the PM's message reads.

PM Deuba has extended heartfelt best wishes to all the campaigners joining hands in the campaign against human trafficking and urged all to help to build a society free of this vice. He has also stated that it is necessary to implement public awareness-raising and economic empowerment programmes for the prevention of human trafficking.

House of Representatives, Women and Social Committee president Nirudevi Pal said it is really saddening that women are trafficked and smuggled even in the 21st century. She pointed out the need of smashing the human trafficking and smuggling network, urging all to extend cooperation from their respective place to minimising this heinous crime.

According to Ministry Secretary Yam Kumari Khatiwada, human trafficking is always a hurdle to the building of a civilised society and the crime is amplified as a social taboo. The Secretary spoke of the need for collective efforts among all stakeholders concerned including government, private sector and civil society to combat the crime.

Roshani Kumari Shrestha, chief of the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Control Section, opined that limited job opportunities at home were seen as one of the reasons for increasing cases of human trafficking and women were being trafficked under the guise of foreign employment.

The programme was held with the theme of "human trafficking-free society: collective efforts and commitments". During the programme, it was informed that 1,331 women and girls were rescued last year with the help of several organisations.