Operation Smile rescues 5,582 children across Telangana, 1,483 accused arrested in month-long drive

A month-long crackdown across the State under Operation Smile-XII led to the rescue of 5,582 children and the arrest of 1,483 accused across Telangana as police targeted child labour, trafficking and bonded exploitation.

The operation, held from January 1 to 31 under the supervision of the Women Safety Wing, saw 121 police teams comprising over 600 personnel conduct coordinated raids with child welfare committees, labour, health and social welfare departments, along with NGOs

Teams mapped and combed vulnerable locations including railway and bus stations, religious sites, brick kilns, construction areas, workshops and tea stalls. Of the total children rescued, 4,567 were found engaged in child labour, 486 were living on the streets, 38 were forced into begging and 491 were rescued from other forms of exploitative work.

A significant number of children had been brought from other States. Police traced 2,292 children to 15 other Indian states, including 43 from neighbouring Nepal.

During the drive, 1,480 FIRs were registered and 1,520 children were rescued as part of these criminal cases. The Labour Department issued 1,363 inspection reports and imposed fines totalling ₹41.78 lakh under the minimum wage laws.

On the rehabilitation front, 4,978 children were reunited with their families while 604 were placed in rescue homes for care and protection. Authorities also enrolled 2,375 migrant children in 29 urban bridge schools to reintegrate them into the education system.