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2024: 166 children rescued from forced labour, begging in Ludhiana
According to officials, 148 children were freed from hazardous factory work and forced labour in homes and shops during 22 well-planned raids across the city.
The district child protection unit has freed 166 children employed as labour and beggars, primarily between the ages of 12 and 16 during 28 coordinated raids conducted across the city in 2024.
According to officials, 148 children were freed from hazardous factory work and forced labour in homes and shops during 22 well-planned raids across the city. Meanwhile, 18 children were rescued from the streets, where they were exploited for begging.
These raids are carried out by the district task force that includes police officers, social workers, health and education officials, counsellors, and district administrators acting on a tip off from the labour department.
Additionally, a major push came during the child labour eradication week in November, when officials rescued 31 children from areas like Meharban Chungi, Gur Vihar, and Basti Jodhewal. The rescues took place over three days when 16 children were freed on November 18, followed by six on November 19, and nine on November 20.
Notably, the 2024 figures show a slight increase compared to 2023, when 123 child labourers were rescued in 34 raids. Of those, 117 were freed from factories, agricultural fields, and small establishments, while six were rescued from begging.
According to senior officials, after freeing the children, they undergo medical examinations before being presented to the District Child Welfare Committee. If their parents are not located after counseling, the children are then sent to childcare homes for rehabilitation, located in areas such as Jamalpur, Pakhowal Road, Doraha and Mullanpur.
In addition, officials highlighted that after the children are rescued, they file formal complaints with the local police to trace their parents for possible reconciliation. However, in cases where children are abandoned or forced into begging and labour, adoption is considered to offer them a better future.
District child protection officer Rashmi Saini noted that most of the rescued children are migrants who came to the industrial city from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in search of better wages. Unfortunately, many of these children are sent by their parents to improve their economic situation, unaware that child labour is a serious crime. Also, such children remain preferable choice for employers as cheap labour.
