The Child Labour Prevention Squads raided several places in the district on Tuesday and rescued 22 children.
On a tip-off, officials of the Labour Department and the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) rescued the children. Of them, two were engaged for domestic work, which comes under hazardous category.
As part of the ongoing special drive to check child labour, five squads were conducting raids on hotels, restaurants, shops, mechanic sheds, factories, industries, and houses in Krishna district.
The team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Labour K. Vijay Bhaskar Reddy raided a house in Nuzvid town and rescued a 12-year-old girl, who was engaged as domestic servant, said Krishna District Deputy Commissioner of Labour (DCL) S.Y. Srinivas.
The girl, a native of Eluru, was found working in Y. Nagendra Babu’s house and was paid Rs.12,000 per year. Her mother died and father was a rickshaw puller.
In another case, the officials and NGOs rescued a 12-year-old boy engaged in a bar and restaurant at Gannavaram village. The victim was a native of Mudirajupalem village in Krishna district. The restaurant owner was paying Rs.2,000 per month to the boy, said the DCL.
The two children engaged under hazardous conditions were produced before Child Welfare Committee, which referred them to homes for rehabilitation.
Cases booked
Cases would be booked against the owners under Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986, in hazardous cases and under A.P. Shops and Establishment Act of 1988, and Minimum Wages Act, 1948, in other 20 cases, said Mr. Srinivas.