Parents and guardians who force children to beg in Punjab can now be jailed for up to three years and fined up to Rs300,000. The change comes through the Punjab Vagrancy (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, which took effect immediately after it was approved, and it forms the core of the new Punjab child begging law.
What the ordinance changes
The provincial governor approved the ordinance, and reports say a gazette notification has since been issued. The law widens the legal definition of a child, so that it now includes 16-year-olds. Under the amended law, anyone found pushing a child into begging will face prosecution.
Penalties and enforcement
Parents and guardians found forcing children into begging could face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs300,000. The government has also changed how enforcement is organised. The Director General of Social Welfare and Baitul Maal has been appointed Controller of Vagrancy and will oversee action against begging across the province.
Police officials said the ordinance will help curb the exploitation of children and stop their use for begging. The Punjab child begging law therefore pairs a criminal penalty for adults with a new administrative role for the welfare office.
What happens next
The ordinance is already in force, so action against begging now falls under the Controller of Vagrancy and the amended law. An ordinance is a temporary law issued by the executive, and it must later be approved by the provincial assembly to remain in place permanently. Until then, the penalties for parents and guardians apply as set out in the ordinance.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab mein ab bachon ko bhik mangwane wale walidain ya sarparast ko teen saal tak qaid aur 3 lakh rupay tak jurmana ho sakta hai. Yeh qanoon foran lagu ho gaya hai. Ab 16 saal tak ke bachon ko bhi is qanoon mein shamil kiya gaya hai. Is ka matlab hai ke bachon ko sadak par bhik mangne par majboor karna ab sakht jurm hai.
