Date:04/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/04/stories/2008070458230200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Rescued girl admitted to school at Bheemili

Staff Reporter

She was beaten up allegedly by her former employer

84 cases of child labour were detected in 11 days
Most of the children were engaged in construction works

VISAKHAPATNAM: The tale of Kosuru Sarvalakshmi, 12, who was badly beaten up allegedly by her employer, is sure to move any right-thinking person to tears.

She was a student of a Government school at Tuni in East Godavari district till January 29 this year.

Soon after the death of Sarvalakshmi’s mother, her father remarried and her stepmother started torturing her. Some acquaintance put her up at the house of J. Shyam of Murali Nagar for babysitting.

The inmates allegedly beat her up with a rubber tube, used to connect a gas cylinder to the stove.

On coming to know of the incident, a Telugu satellite news channel telecast the incident prompting the Labour Officials to conduct a raid and rescue the girl.

Shyam and his mother Vijayalakshmi were arrested. The girl was treated at the King George Hospital (KGH). “The girl has been admitted to a school at Bheemunipatnam under a scheme of the Women and Child Welfare Department,” Joint Commissioner of Labour M.N. Varahala Reddy said.

Meanwhile, the Labour Department has detected 84 cases of child labourers in Visakhapatnam during the last 11 days since the launch of a special drive that commenced on World Anti-Child Labour Day.

They also booked 39 cases in Vizianagaram and 25 cases in Srikakulam district during the same period.

Of the 84 cases booked in Visakhapatnam, 18 were hazardous in nature.

The children were mostly engaged in construction works and these included the works being undertaken by the Government departments.

There may be several Sarvalakshmis waiting to be rescued.