Seven children aged about five and 45 children who have never been to school are among the 285 children in the five to 15 age group rescued as part of ‘Operation Svechha’ in Andhra Pradesh.
The drive has also revealed the rampant trafficking in children from other States to Andhra Pradesh.
Of the rescued children, 38 are below the age of 10 and 240 are aged between 11 and 15.
Officers of the Labour, Police, Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs), Education, Medical and Health, Women Development and Child Welfare and other departments, along with NGOs, participated in the week-long raids conducted from February 9 as part of the operation. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) monitored the drive.
Hazardous conditions
“We were shocked to find children of such tender age engaged in factories, brick kilns, hotels and mechanic sheds in hazardous conditions. The children are in anaemic condition,” said a labour officer who participated in the raids.
Forty-five children had never been enrolled in school, 58 were Class V dropouts, 166 stopped their studies below Class 10, and 18 could not tell their educational qualifications, CID officials told The Hindu.
Cases booked
“The police have registered 10 cases. The officers concerned have booked cases under Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, and Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Act, 2021,” said CID Superintendent of Police K.G.V. Saritha.
Of the total rescued children, 39 were from Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, Assam, West Bengal and other States, she said.
“The raids have exposed the trafficking in children from other States to Andhra Pradesh,” Ms. Saritha said.
The teams also booked cases against the employers under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Out of 285 children rescued, 175 said that they had to work because of poverty, she said.
“About 27 children were found working in factories, 26 in brick kilns, 22 in hotels and the remaining in mechanic sheds, aqua processing units, construction sites, shops and other places,” she said.
