Gadwal: Legal action will be taken against anyone employing children under 18, as stated by District SP T. Srinivas Rao. To combat child labor, both the central and state governments run programs like Operation Smile and Operation Muskaan twice a year. These programs aim to find and return missing children to their families and rescue child laborers. Recently, Operation Muskaan-X was successfully carried out in the district, according to SP T. Srinivas Rao.
To rescue children, teams were formed in the district. These teams included police, the Child Welfare Committee, the Labor Department, the Education Department, and the District Child Protection Department. They also received help from various NGOs. Extensive inspections were conducted.
During Operation Muskaan, which took place from July 1 to 31 this year, 18 children (11 boys and 7 girls) were found and reunited with their parents across the district. Eleven child laborers were rescued, and their parents were counseled. The Labor Department fined three employers. The Child Department is working to ensure that the rescued children continue their education, said the SP.
The responsibility to protect children’s rights lies with all of us. We must work together to eliminate child labor. The SP urged the public to identify and report cases of children being employed. If you see street children or child laborers, inform the authorities by dialing 100 or 1098 or contact the local police.
