150 Child Labourers Rescued From Nalgonda Factory

Officers, including those from the ICDS, labour and police departments, under Operation Smile, conducted raids at a bricks manufacturing unit at Peddakondur village of Choutuppal mandal in the Nalgonda district, and rescued 150 child labourers.

Following credible information, the Smile team - headed by the Bhoodan Pochampally police - conducted raids at the manufacturing unit and rescued 150 children aged between five and twelve years.

The Yadadri-Bhongir District Child Development and Protection officer said that migrant labourers from Odisha had been working in the unit in Peddakondur.

"We received informed that children of the migrant labourers were engaged in the works at the unit in large numbers. Later, we questioned each and every labourer to ascertain their age. We identified 150 children aged between five and 12 years working at the kiln," she said. The rescued children have been shifted to Child Home of Department of Women and Child Welfare in Hyderabad.

The officer said that they would provide counselling to the parents of the children and also action would be taken against owners of the brick factory as per law.

Apart from this incident, on Monday, 14 children in Nalgonda, including four in the Miryalguda division and 10 in the Nalgonda division, and five in the Suryapet district, were rescued under Operation Smile on Monday.

The officers vowed to rescue as many children as possible by the end of the next month.