Telangana police canteen hires minor, photo of girl washing vessels goes viral

Hyderabad: Although the Telangana police is trying to eradicate child labour, minors are working in establishments contracted out by the police.

The picture of a minor girl cleaning vessels in the canteen on the Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissionerate campus in Gachibowli has gone viral.

An official deputed to the campus took a photo of the girl in the canteen’s kitchen and forwarded it to the Balala Hakkula Sangham. Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said they are inquiring into the case and will act as per law.

Balala Hakkula Sangham president Anuradha Rao said an officer working at the commissionerate campus sent the picture of a minor girl working in the campus canteen.

“We found the canteen is run by one Sreenivasa Rao and the girl started working in the canteen’s kitchen three days ago. But none of the police officers who came to the canteen saw the girl,” Anuradha said.

She demanded action against those responsible for employing the girl in the canteen and also to cancel their contract.

“This act of the contractor and police officials is a black mark on the department. This also shows the grim situation facing children in the city. The girl should be rescued immediately,” she said.

Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said the girl had been working in the canteen since two days and seems to be above 14.

Meanwhile, officials from the district child protection unit rushed to the spot, but coming to know about that the contractor moved the girl out of the campus. “We warned them not to employ children at the canteen,” Ranga Reddy child protection officer A. Devendra Chary said.

Sources said the girl was the only daughter of one Mallamma, who was working in the kitchen and hails from Serilingampally. As she was ill her daughter had come to work in her place in the canteen.