Operation Smile: 615 kids rescued

Warangal: The authorities have rescued 615 kids from child labour and slavery during the Operation Smile-7 in the erstwhile Warangal district. It may be mentioned here that Operation Smile is conducted in every January and Operation Muskaan in July in coordination with the Central government.

Under the drive, the specially trained police teams and the officials of the Child Welfare department visited bus stations, railway platforms, industries, religious places and shelter homes to find out the missing children and child labourers below the age of 14 years.

The rescued kids were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and then were stationed at Children's Homes. After eliciting information from these kids, the CWC will reunite them with their families. Majority of the child labourers rescued in the erstwhile Warangal district are from Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra States.

Speaking to media persons, Warangal district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairperson Mandala Parashuramulu said that the Central and State governments will constantly monitor the child protection officers, Childline 1098 personnel, Labour and Education Industries officials in collaboration with the Police Department on a regular basis for the abolition of the labour system.

The Union Ministry of Labour will set up vocational training centres under the supervision of the District Collector in each of district centres for the uneducated under the age of 15 to 18 years in Telangana State. The children are given training in the subjects of their choice and become enlightened, said Parashuramulu.

He further stated that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is implementing a number of welfare schemes with a special focus on making Telangana a state free of child labour. We urge CM KCR to set up vocational training centres for those between the ages of 15 to 18 years in each district, Parashuramulu said.