In Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 18 children forced into begging or labour were rescued over the past couple of days in Jammu city by a special task force constituted to deal with such cases.<br />'' <br />'' AIR Jammu Correspondent reports that the 18 children, including two girls, below the age of 14 years, from different hotspot areas in the city. The children were then produced before the Child Welfare Committee for their proper rehabilitation. The rescue drive was initiated in busy marketplaces, outside religious sites, traffic signals, posh localities, including Gandhi Nagar, Vikram Chowk and Bahu Plaza and its focus remained on children being forced to beg, work as rag pickers, sell articles or engage in labour work at construction sites. The rescued children have been admitted to childcare institutions where proper diet, counselling and medical care are available. The task force was set up by Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to collect information on Children in Street Situation (CISS) and carry out rescue operations within the ecosystem created by the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act.<br />''  <br />''The rescued children will be enrolled in Anganwadi centres or schools and their information is uploaded in the CISS portal so that they are not dragged back into begging or labour. The task force members include SSP, Chief Medical Officer, District Child Protection Officer, Assistant Labour Commissioner, the NGO Kitaab aur Kalam Foundation and Childline, Jammu. <br />