In a swift action, the Government Railway Police (GRP) in association with the South Central Railway Childline, rescued 15 tribal girls of Odisha at the railway station here on Sunday. They are questioning the team leader, Reetha, who accompanied the minor girls.
“Responding to a phone call that girls below 16 years were being transported in a general bogie in a train, the GRP swung into action and rescued the girls at the Vijayawada railway station. They were travelling from Guntur to Odisha, when police interrupted them,” said a GRP officer.
Child labour
As the girls gave incoherent replies on their journey, they were taken into custody and handed over to the railway childline.
The girls did not possess any ID proof, said the SKCV Home staff, who were monitoring the railway childline.
Government Railway Police Vijayawada Circle Inspector T. Srinivas Reddy said that no case was registered and the childline staff were asked to provide shelter to the victims.
Adivasi tribes
“During questioning, the girls revealed that they were working in a private spinning mill at Timmapuram village, near Chilakaluripet in Guntur district. They were returning to their native village,” Railway Childline Coordinator Srikanth told The Hindu .
Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member S. Bala Showry said the girls were referred to a home for short stay.
Instructions have been given to submit the details of their parents, purpose of visit and other details to the Committee, he said.
“The Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department, has inquired into the issue. The minor girls were natives of Tunga Thanda, a tribal hamlet near Rayagada in Odisha state. They belonged to Puraja, an Adivasi tribe,” said District Child Protection Officer Ch. Vijay Kumar.
The Child Welfare Committee will inquire into whether the girls were employed in the spinning mills; who was the mediator; how many girls are working in the unit and other details, said Mr. Bala Showry.
“Reetha is a major. However, CWC will hand over the girls to their parents or blood relatives only after producing necessary documents. The Committee will direct the spinning mill management to be present before the CWC, if necessary,” said Mr. Bala Showry.
Meanwhile, representatives of various NGOs expressed doubt and said that the mediators might have been organising inter-State trafficking on the pretext of providing jobs.
“Why all the girls, aged between 12 and 15 years wore sarees, if they were employed in a spinning mill. Just to resemble as elders, the girls were asked to wear sarees. The victims are not in a position to tell the name of the company in which they were working and their native village in Odisha. The government should order an inquiry into the incident,” said an NGO organiser.
