As many as 25 girls and 11 boys working in three factories in the Mandideep industrial area, Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh were rescued on Friday, June 14.

This was possible after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the unit owners for indulging in child labour, officials informed. 

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was leading the rescue operation and was aided by the police and the Association for Voluntary Action, also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the officials informed, stated a report by PTI. 

"The factories have been sealed and an FIR has been lodged against their owners. The operation was initiated on a BBA complaint. The 36 children looked vulnerable, malnourished and sleep-deprived. They were made to work for 12-14 hours every day. They are in the 15-17 year age group and hail from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and neighbouring districts in Madhya Pradesh. Most of the rescued girls belonged to nearby tribal areas," the official said.

"The children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee and are being counselled. The three units comprise a bakery producing biscuits and rusks, a food processing establishment as well as a facility making plastic electronic products," he said.

Manish Sharma, Director, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, informed that often, owners who operate these kinds of units opt for child labour out of greed for cheap and docile hands.

They also make fake promises to the parents of these children, which the helpless parents fall for. He also stated that major steps need to be taken in the right direction plus, strict laws need to be implemented to curb the menace of child labour.