Hyderabad: Hundreds of children working as labourers were rescued across the state, and FIRs registered against those who employing them. The children were either handed over to their parents after being counselled not to send them to work or placed in the care of child welfare authorities.In ‘Operation Muskaan’ undertaken by the police and officials of various departments from July 1 to July 30, children — both boys and girls — under 18 years of age were rescued from brick kilns, mechanic shops, forced begging, poultry farms, cattle herding, hotels, kirana shops, medical shops, and from streets where they were found begging. The authorities also uploaded information about missing children in the ‘Darpan’ app to help trace their addresses.In Siddipet commissionerate limits, 94 children, including 10 girls, were rescued. The rescued children are from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Nepal, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Meghalaya. The police registered 27 cases against those who employed them.In Nizamabad, Armoor, and Bodhan, 154 children, including six girls, were rescued. FIRs were registered in 15 cases against those who employed them.In Bhadradri Kothagudem, Operation Muskaan-X1 phase saw 54 child labourers being rescued, including 10 girls. Of the total, 43 were handed over to their parents, and one was sent to a govt-run home. Cases were filed against 39 people for employing children, and notices were sent to 13 of them.As many as 133 children employed in Mahbubnagar were rescued and handed over to their parents or relatives. Apart from the police, the Child Welfare Committee, labour department, education department, child protection department, and health department also participated in the operation. Of the total children rescued in Mahbubnagar, 122 were boys and 11 girls. Among these, 38 belonged to other states. Police registered 43 cases against their employers.
