Agartala/Itanagar, Dec 24 (AHN) Acting on a request from Tripura Police, the Arunachal Pradesh Police have launched a search operation to trace and rescue 30 child labourers, along with a few adult workers who were allegedly taken forcibly to the state for work, officials said on Wednesday.

Officer-in-Charge of Kailashahar Police Station in Tripura’s Unakoti district, Tapas Malakar, said that after a missing persons case was registered, Tripura Police contacted their counterparts in Arunachal Pradesh seeking assistance.

“So far, Arunachal Pradesh Police have located four of the 30 labourers, and intensive efforts are underway to rescue the remaining child and adult workers,” Malakar told the media.

Family members of the children and youths lodged an FIR at the Kailashahar Police station on Tuesday, alleging that their children were being ill-treated and forced to live in inhuman conditions, leading to severe mental distress.

“The families are in deep anguish and are desperately seeking the safe and early return of their near and dear ones,” Malakar said, underscoring the humanitarian gravity of the situation.

The parents of the missing children are workers at tea gardens in Unakoti district. Meanwhile, Tripura Labour, Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy has written to Arunachal Pradesh’s Commerce and Industries, Labour and Employment Minister Nyato Dukam, seeking his intervention to facilitate the rescue of the children.

In his letter, Roy stated that around 30 child labourers, along with a few adult workers, were taken from Rangrung Tea Garden and another tea garden in Kailashahar under Unakoti district to Arunachal Pradesh after being promised wages and benefits.

However, they (child labourers) were reportedly denied their lawful entitlements by the traffickers.

The Minister further said that family members alleged the children were subjected to ill-treatment and compelled to live in inhuman conditions, causing severe mental distress and anxiety.

“In view of the seriousness of the matter and the humanitarian concerns involved, I earnestly request your kind intervention to extend all necessary assistance for the immediate rescue and safe repatriation of the child labourers to their homes in Tripura at the earliest,” Roy said in his letter.