Cuttack: The district administration Friday launched a probe into the alleged trafficking of 12 children from a slum near Chauliaganj in the city to Andhra Pradesh in the last few days.
A team led by district child protection officer Pragati Mohanty and Childline coordinator Narayan Sukla visited Nilakantheswar slum under Chauliaganj police limits and investigated allegations about the trafficking of children.
“Altogether eight children, including five girls, have been sent to Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh to work as labourers. The parents of these children told us they were struggling to eke out a livelihood,” Mohanty said. She further said the probe team discussed the issue with the district collector and city deputy superintendent of police.
It was alleged that 12 children from slum have been trafficked to Andhra Pradesh to work as labourers. Sources said a racket was engaged in trafficking children from poor families in the locality to the southern state and that a woman has been running the racket at the slum for the last few years. A few orphan children from the slum were allegedly sold in neighbouring states by this racket.
Sources said a 10-year-old orphan from the slum was sold outside the state by his aunt for Rs 15,000. A minor boy from the locality was trafficked to Andhra Pradesh by the racket January 27, said a local.
“Members of the racket plan to send a few more children from the slum to some neighbouring states in near future,” alleged Premalata Sahu, another local.
