11 children rescued in Ludhiana

Chandigarh: 11 minors were rescued after Special Investigation Team of Labour department raided a textile unit in Ludhiana and busted an interstate racket of child trafficking.

The children were rescued from a textile manufacturing unit at Guru Vihar Rahon Road in Ludhiana last night, an official spokesperson said, adding, all the rescued were minors and aged between 8-14.

The team found the children, brought by the gang from Bihar, living in a pitiable condition and being forced to work as bonded labour at Rs 50-100 per week, he said.

The children were made to work in pathetic and unhygenic conditions and were not being provided with proper clothing, food and medical facilities, he said.

The children were victims of human trafficking and hailed from Bihar.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Labour Department today alerted its counterpart in Bihar so that complete module of the trafficking gang could be busted, he said.

The rescued children were presented before the District Child Welfare Committee and afterwards sent to a children's home in Kurali, he said.