Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today flagged off a statewide campaign against child sexual abuse in the state capital, urging people to fight the menace, an official release said.
As part of the fortnight-long drive – an initiative of the Odisha Police in association with UNICEF – a total of 15 chariots, fitted with LCD screens to display awareness messages, were rolled out from different parts of the state this morning.
Only when a society is aware, it can take proper care of children, Patnaik said.
Each specially designed chariot, called Pari Express, will cover two districts before converging in the state capital for a valedictory function on June 12, the release stated.
The rising cases of sexual abuse of minors have prompted the state machinery to launch the campaign, Odisha DGP R P Sharma said.
“Sexual abuse of minor girls is a challenge the society needs to face. In 90 per cent of the cases, the accused persons are known to the victims,” he added.
The UNICEF has provided technical support for the programme and facilitated the training of folk artistes, who would be performing on the chariots as part of the drive, the release said.
The volunteers on board the chariots, with help from the District Council of Culture, will also make arrangements for community interaction in the presence of local gentries.
The campaign would reach out to people in the rural areas to create awareness on the matter. It would stress the need to report such cases to police on time, the release added.
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