Surat: A joint task force on Sunday rescued 37 child labourers, including 15 girls, from textile units in Surat’s Varachha area. The children, aged between 12 and 14 years, were allegedly engaged in fabric cutting and folding work.

Acting on a tip-off, officials from the Labour Department, Child Welfare Department, Factory Department, Surat Municipal Corporation and police raided 17 textile units operating in residential societies.

The rescued children, who hail from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were produced before the Child Welfare Committee and later shifted to shelter homes.

Assistant Labour Commissioner Haresh Gamit said the children were found living and working at the same premises. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had been brought to Surat through agents, with many arriving from Rajasthan about five months ago.

Officials said action will be taken against the unit owners and agents involved. The rescue follows a similar operation last month in which 91 child labourers were rescued from textile units in Varachha. DeshGujarat