Date:13/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/13/stories/2007121361730500.htm

Tamil Nadu

Four girls lodged in home

Staff Reporter

KANCHEEPURAM: Four girls, including a two-year-old, who were found begging at the Tambaram bus stand area, were picked up by the District Labour Department officials on Tuesday.

According to District Labour Inspector G. Mahalingam, a team comprising Labour Department officials, representatives from INDUS project, Kancheepuram, and Childline, Chennai, conducted surprise checks in Tambaram, Pallavaram and Meenambakkam areas on Tuesday morning.

The team raided hotels and other establishments, including three canteens on the Airports Authority of India premises to ascertain whether children were engaged for work.

During the raid, four girls – Kanagamma (9), Durgamma (8), Lakshmi (6) and Meenakshi (2) believed to have migrated or forcibly transported from Karnataka – were found begging in the Tambaram bus stand area.

Immediately, they were picked up by the rescue team and brought to the Tambaram police station.

In the evening, the children were lodged in a home run by the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamilnadu, at Shenoy Nagar in Chennai, as the authorities were not able to get any information about the family of the children who were rescued.