Dattatreya vows to end child labour

Inter-state meeting to work out a time-bound plan

Hyderabad: Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday expressed shock at the exploitation of children in the Hyderabad bangle making industry.

This is totally unacceptable. The recent raids conducted by the police and the officials of the Labour Department of the State of Telangana helped rescue nearly 400 children. He asked the officials to continue the operation till the last child was freed from the industry.

“It is learnt that all efforts are being made by the State government to repatriate these children, most of them hail from Bihar," he said in a statement here on Sunday.

Dattatreya said the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment would take follow-up steps and would convene an inter-state meeting to work out a time-bound plan to prevent child trafficking.

At the same time it would work out a coordinated action between the States of Bihar and Telangana State to rehabilitate every child who has been trafficked.

"We understand that this is to be done with a sense of urgency. Our government is fully committed to see that every child enjoys his/her right to education and there should an end to child labour in the Hyderabad city and in India as a whole," he said.