BHUBANESWAR: As many as 2,895 minors, including 550 girls, were rescued by Odisha from various parts of the State and country under Paree-II campaign. In the first phase of the special campaign, which was conducted within the State, around 2,798 children, including 505 girls, were rescued. While in the second phase, 106 children, including 45 girls, were rescued from the National Capital Region, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
Police said the process of verifying the number of children staying in shelter homes and engaged as child labourers is underway. Around eight teams comprising officers of Odisha police and officials of Women and Child Development department were formed for rescuing children from outside the State.
The first such team arrived had arrived from Andhra Pradesh on September 26 with several children who were accorded a warm welcome by Odisha DGP Dr RP Sharma, Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhyay, Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra, Crime Branch SP Madkar Sandeep Sampat and Women and Child Development Department joint secretary (child welfare) Rega Geetarani Patnaik. The police had said the majority of the children, rescued from Andhra Pradesh, were staying in shelter homes.
Meanwhile, Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhyay told ‘Express’ that 185 children were rescued in connection with specific cases of kidnapping under the campaign. Earlier, Odisha Police had rescued 8,115 minors between 2015 and 2017 under special operations Smile and Muskaan under the direction of the Union Home Ministry.
The first phase of Paree-II campaign was held between September 1 and September 15 and focused on rescuing the children within the State while the second phase, which started from September 16 and continued till September 30, focused on rescuing children from other States.
