The Child Help Desk functioning at the Erode Railway Junction has rescued 56 children from October to December 2020.
Rights Education and Development Centre, a non-governmental organisation, established the desk at the junction in March 2019 to rescue and rehabilitate unaccompanied, missing, run away children in the age group of 6 to 14 and child workers in the age group of 15 to 18.
The desk functions round the clock and is manned by 12 members.
The rescued children are handed over to their parents or guardian through Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the station manager. If need arises, the children are also produced at the Child Welfare Committee for care and protection.
“We have rescued 181 children in two years,” said D. Jajaraj, project coordinator. After COVID-19 lockdown relaxation, 56 children were rescued between October and December 2020, of which 48 were from Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. “Poverty is pushing the children of these States to work in Erode and nearby areas as they are employed here illegally,” he added. Many children arrived at the junction through unregistered agents or company staff of various textile mills, the coordinator said. He said that Inter State Migrant Workmen Act was violated and the families were not aware of registering their details in their native district and destination district. “Only if they register, the government can monitor them and ensure their safety,” he said.
