As many as 241 children including 22 girls have been rescued from Madanapalle, Palamaner, Chittoor, Puttur and Sri City sub-divisions during the week-long ‘Operation Muskaan’ recently.
Superintendent of Police S.Senthil Kumar on Monday told the media that the cases of child labour had gradually declined in Chittoor district owing to the concerted efforts put in by all stakeholders during the campaign.
Awareness drive
The SP said that owners of various worksites vulnerable to child labour were sensitised during a series of awareness drive undertaken as part of the ‘Operation Muskaan’ and many of them had started discouraging the malpractice.
Senthil Kumar further said that all the rescued children had been provided shelter at the government-run homes by strictly adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines. “After conducting tests for the virus, the rescued children will be rehabilitated or sent back to their parents as per the decision of the Child Welfare Committee,” he said.
Pandemic blues
Distributing masks, gloves and biscuits to the rescued children at a temporary shelter, the SP said that several children were rescued from public places, while others were found to be struggling for food owing to the COVID-19 restrictions. “The prime objective of this phase of Operation Muskaan is to protect the victims of child labour from the pandemic,” said Mr. Senthil Kumar.
Deputy SP K. Eeshwar Reddy, senior officials of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), revenue and labour departments took part in the event.
