Maharashtra To Expand ‘Firte Pathak’ Initiative For Street Children Across All Municipal Corporations

Last Updated:May 22, 2026, 08:16 IST

Under ‘Firte Pathak’, specially equipped mobile vans visit slum clusters, traffic junctions and other vulnerable pockets to identify children in need of assistance. 

The Maharashtra government is set to expand its flagship outreach initiative for street children across all 29 municipal corporation areas in the state after the pilot project showed encouraging results in major cities. The initiative, titled “Firte Pathak" (Mobile Outreach Team), will be implemented under the Centre-backed Mission Vatsalya programme by the state’s Women and Child Development Department, headed by minister Aditi Tatkare. The project is currently operational in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Pune, Thane, Nashik and Nagpur as a ‘pilot project’.

Designed to identify, support and rehabilitate children living on the streets, the initiative aims to connect vulnerable children with education, nutrition, healthcare and counselling services while helping them move away from unsafe living conditions. Under the scheme, specially equipped mobile vans visit slum clusters, traffic junctions and other vulnerable pockets to identify children in need of assistance. Outreach teams also counsel parents and guardians, encouraging them to send children to school and opt for long-term rehabilitation support.

According to official data, nearly 3,803 children have benefited from the project over the past year. Pune recorded the highest number of beneficiaries at 1,679, followed by Mumbai City with 810, Thane with 750, Nashik with 285 and Nagpur with 279 children.

Encouraged by the response, the state government now plans to introduce one mobile outreach unit in every municipal corporation area across Maharashtra. Mumbai, owing to its larger population of vulnerable children, is expected to receive three vans — one for the island city and two for the suburbs.

Speaking about the initiative, minister Aditi Tatkare told this reporter that the safety of children remains a top priority. “The mobile vans being provided in association with NGOs are being properly monitored through tracking systems as well as CCTV cameras installed inside the vans to ensure the complete safety of children. As the pilot project gains momentum and proves successful, we plan to increase the number of mobile vans across all 29 municipal corporation areas. Mumbai will have three vans — one in the city and two in the suburbs," she said.

Tatkare further added that all NGOs associated with the initiative are being thoroughly verified and are required to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from local police authorities before participating in the project.

Officials said children covered under the initiative are provided nutritious meals, healthcare assistance, educational support, recreational activities and mental health counselling. Awareness programmes are also conducted for families to promote education and social integration. As per the Department of Women and Child, the state government is planning to launch this scheme in the coming June month.

The initiative has also received approval from the Central government, which has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the programme and welfare measures aimed at supporting street children. The project gains additional significance amid recent Supreme Court observations stressing the need for education, protection and rehabilitation facilities for children living on the streets.

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