As many as 634 children were rescued during joint operations held in SPSR Nellore district and Prakasam district as part of Operation Muskaan on Wednesday.
In SPSR Nellore district, 211 children, including 18 girls, were rescued by the team comprising police personnel, activists from Women Development and Child Welfare Department and NGOs.
The personnel, after rehabilitating the children, explained to the parents about the various government welfare schemes and urged them to send their children to school. In Prakasam district, 423 children, including 83 girls, were rescued.
Extensive search
In Chittoor, Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar told the mediapersons that 229 children, including ten girls, were rescued under the operation that was carried out at railway stations, bus stands, brick kilns, hotels and quarries and fields.
He said that of the 179 children rescued in Madanapalle, Chittoor, Palamaner, Puttur and Sri City sub-divisions, 154 would be restored to their parents, while 25 had been sent to rehabilitation centres. In Tirupati, the police rescued 50 children from various public places, including three girls.
Mr. Senthil Kumar said that the prime objective of the Operation Muskaan was not only to rescue children from work stations and hazardous conditions, but also to protect them from falling prey to anti-social activities. He sought the public to inform the police at helpline 100 and WhatsApp number 9440900005 about incidence of child labour and abuse.
In Kurnool, a total of 30 people were rescued under Operation Muskaan on Wednesday. While the youngest was nine-years-old, the oldest rescued was 20.
According to the information released by the police, 10 children were rescued in one town area, nine in two town, four in three town, and five in four town. Two were rescued in Kodumur.
To report cases of child abuse, dial 1098, 181 or 100.
