New Delhi: Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit on Friday said an inter-state effort was needed to relocate over 50,000 children living on the capital`s streets.
A report prepared by NGO Save the Children released by him shows 50,923 children living on streets of Delhi.
"We also need to concentrate on the children who are migrants, we need to contact the source states to help these children," the MP, who is also the son of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, said after releasing the report `Surviving the Streets`.
According to the study, the highest number of street children is in north Delhi.
Among the children who have migrated to Delhi, the highest number are from Bihar (21.2 percent), followed by Uttar Pradesh (15.3), Rajasthan (6.8), Jharkhand (4.1) and Madhya Pradesh (3.9 percent).
The study, however, that only a few of them wanted to return to their home states.
"Only a few children said they would prefer to go back to their place of origin. Most migrant children preferred to continue living in Delhi," the report said.
Nearly 22 percent of the children admitted they used drugs. They also took alcohol and thinners. Nearly 50 percent were daily consumers, 28 percent weekly consumers and 20.6 percent were monthly consumers, the report said.
IANS
