Khammam: A group of child labourers, comprising 16 boys and 13 girls, being shifted from Chennai to Balakot, Madhya Pradesh in Navjeevan Express were rescued by the railway police force in Khammam. None of the children had any form of identification document on their person.
According to the details, one Rajakhan purchased the children from Balakot, Madhya Pradesh and engaged them in service at a sugar factory in Chennai where they worked for five months. Rajakhan never paid them for the work, however, he paid them travel allowance to go home and put them on Navjeevan express.
The children, all natives of villages surrounding Balakot, were to alight in Chandapur and from there, board another train to Balakot.
Despite the government’s efforts to check child labour in the country, the children were shifted to Chennai right under the nose of the police. N. Sunder, one of the victims, said they were working with garbage in the sugar factory.
The Railway Protection Force received the information after the train left Vijayawada. The children were rescued from the train at Khammam railway station and handed over to the Balala Hakkula Committee.
