The Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) saved 281 children in Andhra Pradesh in one month from the work premises where they were allegedly doing forced labour.
BBA State coordinator B. Chandra Sekhar Rao at a press conference on Saturday said these children (below 18 years) were rescued from various locations in Andhra Pradesh in June. The BBA conducted raids at 216 different places across the country and rescued 1,623 children during that time.
In Andhra Pradesh, the district task force teams consisting of officials from labour, child and women welfare, education, factories, police departments, the railways, and Childline-1098 conducted 59 raids during the 30-day period. The BBA State coordinator said that Nobel peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi had established Bachpan Bachao Andolan which had consistently ensured the safety of children during the pandemic and rescued scores of children forced into child labour.
As part of its continuous and protracted struggle to eliminate child labour from the country, the BBA had initiated a special drive along with partners and law enforcement agencies, he added. The teams also recommend booking of FIRs against the accused traffickers and employers. The accused were arrested for offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, Child Labour Act and the Bonded Labour Act.
