HYDERABADPolice and other government departments rescued 6,307 children across Telangana during Operation Muskaan-XII, a State-wide drive, conducted between July 1 and 31, against child labour, trafficking and exploitation.A total of 124 sub-divisional police teams comprising 620 personnel carried out inspections at vulnerable locations, including railway and bus stations, religious places, brick kilns, mechanic workshops, construction sites and tea stalls, after undergoing specialised training on the Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour Act and Bonded Labour Act.Of the 6,307 children rescued, 5,892 were boys and 415 were girls. While 3,447 children belonged to Telangana, another 2,860 were from 15 other States and Nepal. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand accounted for the largest number of rescued children from outside the State.The drive rescued 5,041 children engaged in child labour, 647 street dwellers, 43 children forced into begging, one bonded labourer, one orphan and 11 runaway children. Another 563 children were rescued from situations involving school dropout, child marriage and illegal adoption.Police registered 1,705 criminal cases during the operation and arrested 1,710 accused. As many as 1,989 children were rescued in these registered cases.The Labour Department issued 1,381 inspection reports during the drive and imposed penalties amounting to ₹37.95 lakh under the Minimum Wages Act. Authorities reunited 5,737 rescued children with their families, while 570 children were produced before the Child Welfare Committees and admitted to child care institutions for rehabilitation.The operation, part of a nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, was coordinated by the Telangana Police’s Women Safety Wing in association with the Women Development and Child Welfare, Labour and Health Departments, Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units and non-governmental organisations.The rescued children were found working in a wide range of establishments, including hotels and dhabas, construction sites, general stores, automobile workshops, transport units, retail shops, offices, meat and chicken shops, brick kilns, bakeries, welding units, footwear shops and electrical and electronics establishments. The operation also covered school dropouts and children engaged in other forms of labour across the State. Published - August 01, 2026 07:31 pm IST