Punjab to create awareness to prevent human trafficking

Chandigarh: Punjab government would soon launch a campaign to create awareness about the law dealing with human trafficking and exploitation of people by fraudulent travel agents. A campaign on Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012, which is aimed to stop exploitation of innocent people by "unscrupulous" elements posing as travel agents, would be launched, NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said.

He stated this during a meeting with the representatives of Punjab Travel Agents Association (PTAA) and Association of Consultants for Overseas Studies (ACOS) here. The state government after thorough consultations at various levels has enacted the Act to regulate the travel industry so that genuine persons should not suffer, he said. During the meeting, the representatives of PTAA and ACOS said the licensing regime introduced by the state government was need of the hour to regulate the profession of providing visa related and other travel and ticketing services.