After several months of harsh bonded labour and four months of stay in the Boys Rescue Homes at Eluru and here, three boys from the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group of Visakha Agency are back with their parents.
The CPI(M) took the initiative and rescued Siragam Dasaradhi (13 years), Panuku Bhaskara Rao and Janam Mrugaraju (both 14) of Aadari village in Araku mandal from bonded labour at a poultry farm at Teegalavancha village in West Godavari district and made the poultry farm owner Uppuluri Sudhakar pay a total of Rs. 1.40 lakh by way of compensation.
The three children and father of Mrugaraju, Ananda Rao, narrated their experience at the poultry farm at a press conference organised by CPI (M) district secretary K. Lokanadham here on Monday.
The boys said one man had met them at Boddavara in S.Kota mandal while they were working on banana plantations and had taken them away to West Godavari during Sankranti this year with a promise of a salary of Rs. 5,500 a month and meals three times a day. But the poultry owner had beat them regularly and served them food only in the morning, they said.
Their parents came to know about their children through some farmers. Mr. Ananad Rao and others contacted Mr. Nobbo and went to Teegalavancha but in spite of pleading with poultry farm owner for one week, the children were not released. Then through the party unit here, Nobbo contacted the party’s West Godavari district secretary Sitaram. A complaint was lodged with the Tahsildar and the children were rescued after the identity of children was established.
Their parents were made to purchase farm bullocks with the money so that it was not wasted in any other way, said Mr. Nobbo. The boys were shifted to the Boys Rescue Home here 10 days ago after being kept in the home in West Godavari for 105 days. They were finally released on Monday. The boys said they were treated well at the Boys Rescue Homes.
