Bonded children: Cops fail to nab accused

LUDHIANA: The rescued children, who were working as bonded labourers in different factories, have been saved from leading deplorable lives but are still waiting for their journey back home. Meanwhile, the authorities have failed to arrest the culprits, who are responsible for the condition of the kids.
Speaking about it, sub-divisional magistrate Manpreet Singh said, “We received information that some people, including a native of Uttar Pradesh but residing in Hargobind Nagar, Prem, are involved in it.But we cannot take any step in the direction and so have forwarded the case along with all proofs to police commissioner Ishwar Singh.”
Ishwar Singh said, “We have registered the case. In the beginning, we are focussing on the factory owners and their source of hiring labours. based on this, we will plan our future course of action.”
Referring to the future of these children, Manpreet Singh further said, “We are planning to send them back to their parents but are waiting for information from resident commissioners of West Bengal and Bihar.”
Meanwhile, the NGO that initiated the campaign has stated that nearly 300 children are still working in the factories and waiting to be rescued.Vice-president of Punjab chapter of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a non-government organisation, Dinesh Kumar, said, “We are planning another raid in the month of May. If we had acted on the day we had earlier thought, we could have managed to save more than 14 children.”
Urging the administration to help, he added, “The government should regularly check the trains and buses plying from West Bengal and Bihar to Punjab because people who indulge in such malpractice bring around five to 10 children together in these vehicles. They lure the parents or guardians of these kids with the promise of a good job, citing Punjab to be a rich state.”