3076 children rescued under Operation Muskan in July

Telangana: As many as 3076 children were rescued between July 1 and July 31 in Operation Muskan. Nearly 644 children were rescued by the Cyberabad police alone.

Those rescued included 934 children from other states and countries, including Nepal, 47 street children, 115 children from begging, 2,510 from child labour, 33 from brick kilns, and 371 from other industries (310 boys and 61 girls), the Telangana police stated.

According to the additional director general of police (ADGP), women safety wing Shikha Goel, the initiative Operation Muskan, which aims to trace, rescue, and rehabilitate missing and trafficked children, had considerable success in the state.

In 2023 alone, Telangana police rescued 2617 children, which was the highest number of child rescues in any state in India.

The Telangana police works with various stakeholders in society to identify vulnerable pockets where missing and trafficked children can be found. The common areas include railway stations, bus stations, religious places, traffic junctions, construction sites, brick kilns, tea shops, and footpaths.

Telangana has the highest compensation package per child rescued, at Rs 20,000, which is ensured to benefit the child by the labour department. A special juvenile police unit oversees the handing over protocols for the missing children. 2856 missing children have been reunited with their parents in this phase of Operation Muskan-X.