Dibrugarh: Eight children and adolescents were rescued from workplaces in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district and handed over to their parents through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), officials said.
The rescue was conducted under the leadership of Changlang Deputy Commissioner Vishal Sah as part of the Pan-India Rescue and Rehabilitation Campaign 4.0, aimed at eliminating child labour and protecting children’s rights.
“During the operation, eight child and adolescent labourers were rescued and safely handed over to their parents through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Changlang,” an official said.
Legal action has been initiated against the employers under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. Penalties have also been imposed to support the Child and Adolescent Labour Rehabilitation Fund, the official added.
The District Task Force and Sub-Divisional Task Forces carried out search-and-rescue operations at factories, mills, hotels, restaurants, dhabas, construction sites and other vulnerable establishments across the district.
The district administration said it remained committed to safeguarding children’s rights, preventing child labour and ensuring that every child has access to a safe, secure and dignified future.
Sources alleged that children are often employed at restaurants and hotels in Arunachal Pradesh, and that some are brought from neighbouring Assam for work at hotels and dhabas.
“Children working as labourers in hotels and restaurants in Arunachal Pradesh were often taken from Assam. Children from Adivasi communities were targeted and taken to the neighbouring state for work in hotels and dhabas,” a source said.
Several minors have recently been rescued from hotels and restaurants in Arunachal Pradesh and brought back to Assam, sources added.
