Rescued minors to return soon

BERHAMPUR: A team of officials has reached Mumbai to bring back 21 minor children, who were rescued from a fish processing unit at Panvela in July. Eleven among them are from Gajapati district, five from Kandhamal, two from Dhenkanal and one each from Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, sources said.
The team is expected to be back in Odisha with the children in the next two to three days after completing all official procedures."Government holiday due to Ganesh Puja in Maharashtra has delayed the process. We hope to expedite it soon," said an official.
The children, most of whom are girls, were rescued by nuns and Mumbai-based campaigners. They are being housed in a child care home. "Details of the nature of work and condition of the children can be known only after they return home," said collector (Kandhamal) N Thirumala Naik.
About 200 girls, 97 of them minors, were found working as bonded labourers in the unit, sources said.
While the 21 were rescued in July, 55 girls of Ganjam and Kandhamal were prevented from being trafficked to south India in August. While 16 girls were rescued from the railway station here on August 1, nine were picked from Daringbadi bus stand in Kandhamal on August 13. Similarly, 24 and six girls were rescued from the railway station here and bus stand at G Udayagiri in Kandhamal on August 23 and 24 respectively, sources added.