Nagpur: A joint team comprising officials from the Women and Child Development Department, Labour Department, Education Department and Police rescued 18 child labourers from a logistics company in the Wadi area on Wednesday. Sources revealed that some of the rescued minors were from Chhattisgarh as well. The raid was conducted following strict directives issued by the district collector during a high-level meeting aimed at intensifying the special campaign against child labour.
Details of the Raid
"Around 40 minors were spotted but many managed to flee. The minors were working for approximately 10-12 hours against a meagre salary," said an official who was part of the raiding team. The rehabilitation process was immediately set in motion, with all 18 rescued children undergoing medical examinations. The rescued minors were temporarily housed in a children's home for their protection.
Preliminary Investigation
Preliminary investigation revealed that the rescued minors were brought from various places and were being forced to load and unload goods on trucks. The children will now receive proper care, education and support to help them reintegrate into mainstream society, officials claimed.
Legal Action and Future Operations
The administration has announced that strict legal action will be taken against the establishment under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and its amendment of 2016. Officials stated that such operations will continue unabated to make Nagpur and the district completely child labour-free.
Officials Involved
The operation was carried out under the guidance of District Women and Child Development Officer Sunil Mesre and Assistant Labour Commissioner Rajdeep Dhurve. Key officials who participated in the raid included District Child Protection Officer Mustak Pathan, Education Department's Prasenjit Gaikwad, Labour Department's Gayatri Dube and Avinash Doke, and police personnel from the Wadi police station.
