Muskurata Bachpan: Task force rescues 15 minors from rly station

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 17

The District Task Force against child labour on Friday rescued 15 minor children being allegedly trafficked in the city for labour from the Ludhiana railway station under project Muskurata Bachpan.

All the rescued children are in the age-group of 12 to 15 years and have been shifted to Children’s Home in Jamalpur after medical examination at the local Civil Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik said acting on a tip-off, a joint team of various departments, including DCPO Rashmi, Labour Inspector Narinder Singh and Ashok Sharma, RPF Sub-Inspector Resham Kaur, Bachpan Bachao Andolan activist Sandeep Singh, Kulwinder Singh from the Childline and cops from the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate, GRP and a medical team, raided and rescued the children.

She said the children were from various parts of Bihar and were sent to the local Children’s Home in Jamalpur after completing all formalities, including medical examination and counselling.

She said a detailed probe would be conducted into the incident and strict action would be taken against the contractors who have brought the children here.

Malik said the families of the children were being informed so that they could be handed over to them. She said Muskurata Bachpan is aimed at stopping the practice of child labour by carrying out an effective strategy by involving various stakeholders and NGOs. The DC said it would also ensure social, educational as well as economic rehabilitation of the rescued children.