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Jajpur: Six children, who were allegedly forced to work as "bonded labourers" in various units in the jurisdiction of Vyas Nagar Municipality in Odisha's Jajpur district, were rescued on Wednesday, an official said.
The children, aged between 12 and 14, belong to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and are school dropouts, he said.
They were forced to engage in fish scaling and meat shops for wages of Rs 150-200 per day, the official said.
Collector P Anvesha Reddy asked the Jajpur district administration to conduct the rescue operation.
Acting on a tip-off, the authorities formed a special task force, comprising the district child protection officer (DCPO), local police, revenue officials and Child helpline coordinator.
The task force conducted raids at several fish and meat shops in Nahaka and Chorda areas under the Vyas Nagar Municipality and rescued the children, the official said.
“The rescued children are currently lodged in a shelter and will undergo counselling and rehabilitation to facilitate their social mainstreaming,” DCPO Niranjan Kar said, adding that legal proceedings will be initiated against their employers.
The district administration has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any case of child labourer or exploitation.
“We will continue to monitor the areas closely and are committed to eradicating child and bonded labourers in the region. An action taken report will be submitted to the district magistrate for further review and necessary follow-up," the DCPO said.
It was the second such rescue in the district in the last 12 days.
The Jajpur district administration had, on October 18, rescued six children, aged 11 to 14, who were forced to work as bonded labourers.