Odisha plans new anti-trafficking policy after years of poor conviction rates

Odisha is drafting a new anti-trafficking policy called Nutana Sakala, which means 'New Dawn' in Odia, to shift from a reactive policing model to a survivor-centred strategy.

Odisha recorded the highest number of human trafficking victims in India from 2021 to 2024, with 1,039 victims in 2024 including 245 minors, according to NCRB data.

The policy aims to improve prosecutions, dismantle traffickers' financial networks, and help survivors rebuild their lives.

A case from Sundargarh in 2016, where a 16-year-old speech-and hearing-impaired girl was abducted and trafficked to Haryana, highlights the brutality of trafficking networks in the state.