Berhampur has emerged as a preferred route for child traffickers in Odisha. Several minor girls from Odisha’s Kandhamal district were being trafficked outside the State via Berhampur, police said.
During the last month, activists of an NGO have rescued 19 minor girls from Berhampur railway station.All of them were lured by dubious middlemen through promises of high paying jobs outside Odisha.
Prabhuprasad Patra of Berhampur Childline said that during the past one year, his team rescued around 100 minors from Kandhamal in Berhampur. They included a large number of girls.
Till Tuesday, 14 of these girls had returned back to their homes after counselling them along with their parents by the Kandhamal CWC, said Kandhamal District Child Protection Officer Ms. Karan. The remaining five girls had been provided shelter in Phulbani and steps were being taken for their return and proper rehabilitation, she added.