Chandigarh, July 26 -- The Punjab government on Friday claimed to have rescued 168 child beggars from the streets across the state in just one week under its flagship 'Project Jiwanjyot 2.0' programme, collecting DNA samples of 13 of them for parentage confirmation.

Addressing a press conference here, social security, women and child development minister Baljit Kaur said that these children were rescued during 125 coordinated rescue raids carried out across major cities in the state. She said that 80 of them were identified and reunited with their parents, after due verification and counselling to ensure they are not forced into begging again.

"However, 88 children whose parents or guardians could not be traced have been placed in secur...