The district-level taskforce on Sunday rescued 17 child labourers while conducting raids on hotels and motor garages at various places in Brahmapur.
Most of the children rescued were found below 14 years of age and handed over to the Child line. The District Child Protection officer has been directed to enquire about the economic standard of their families.Meanwhile, denizens have hailed the move to rescue child laboureres form various work fields. “Children below 14 years of age are working in large numbers in various hotels, fast-food stalls and garages in Brahmapur. Though late, the move to rescue them is praiseworthy,” said a school teacher.
Child Welfare Committee chairman Suhash Chandra Das, Bairagi Patra, Ranjita Das, District labour Officer Dipti Ranjan Mohanty, Shiv Shankar Sahoo, District Child Protection Officer Subodh Sarangi, Child line’s Prabhu Prasad Patra and Anil Panda participated in the raid.While a survey conducted by the labour Department in 2011 reveals that the Ganjam district had a total of 12,133 child labourers, the Sarva Siksha Aviyan records shows that the district has a total of 394 child labourers, including 30 in Brahmapur town.