The Anantapur district administration acted in a swift manner to ensure that all the 32 bonded labourers belonging to 29 families were sent back to their native place Balangir in Odisha soon after their wages were settled as per the Minimum Wages Act.
Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Nallani Rajeswari, Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Veeraragahva Reddy, said based on the news report in these columns on Tuesday about the bonded labourers waiting to be rescued, they visited the brick kiln at Kanumpalli Cross in Garladinne mandal of the district and interacted with all of them.
Ms. Rajeswari said the team including DCPO Subramanyam, police officials, labour officers, a medical officer, ANM, ASHA workers, Childline Coordinators from Nodal and Collaborative organisations visited the bricks factory and got first-hand information.
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Children at site
The team identified 12 children aged between fice and 18 years and four children below five years and two children below 6 months. In all, 29 families were found working through an unofficial agreement, she told
‘Balamrutham’ was provided to the children and general health check up of all children done. Six of the children had been referred to the Government General Hospital for age determination, which would take place on Wednesday, said Garladinne Tahsildar R. Madhav Reddy.
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All the families were willing to go back to their State, he said and added that tickets would be booked for all of them and money given for food and other expenses too. Once the medical tests were over and their wages settled, children along with their parents would be repatriated to Odisha.
The children would be handed over to Balangir CWC in Odisha.