Two boys, who had dropped out from school and working in a two-wheeler workshop, were rescued on Saturday following an alert received by the District Child Protection Unit.
M. Viviliyaraja, District Child Protection Officer, said that his office received a call on Saturday morning that two children were working in a workshop in Obula Padithurai area. “We immediately alerted the Collector and as per his directions visited the shop along with officials from Department of Labour and the police,” he said.
He added that one of the boys had dropped out of Class 10 and the other out of Class 8 last year. The boys, residing in Munichalai, hailed from economically-backward families and they were reportedly sent by their parents for work since they did not do well in school, Mr. Viviliyaraja said.
The two boys were handed over to Child Welfare Committee, which will provide counselling to the children and their families and help them in rehabilitation.
Officials from the Labour Department said that compensation would be provided to the children and action taken against the person running the workshop.
