Raiganj, West Bengal: Twelve workers, including 10 minors, were rescued from an agro-food processing unit in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal after authorities received information that they were allegedly being forced to work as bonded labourers.
The rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday at Chapduar Agro and Food Private Ltd in the Raiganj area. The 10 minors are reportedly from Pakur and other districts of Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region, while the two adult workers are from Malda in West Bengal.
According to officials, the Jharkhand administration received information several days before the operation that some minors had allegedly been lured with promises of employment and taken to Uttar Dinajpur. The information was subsequently shared with authorities in West Bengal, following which a joint rescue operation was planned.
Pakur Deputy Commissioner Megha Bhardwaj said the administration had contacted the Uttar Dinajpur district authorities and requested that the minors be rescued at the earliest. Officials are now working to establish the exact ages of those rescued and determine whether they were subjected to bonded or forced labour.
The rescued children were produced before the local Child Welfare Committee. Arrangements are being made for their safe return to their families, along with counselling and rehabilitation support under government welfare programmes.
Authorities have also begun investigating the role of alleged middlemen and contractors who reportedly brought the minors from Jharkhand to West Bengal. Officials said further action against the food unit’s management would depend on the findings of the ongoing inquiry.
The case has once again highlighted concerns over the exploitation of vulnerable workers, particularly children who are allegedly taken to other states with promises of jobs and better opportunities. Officials are examining whether the workers were paid wages, how they were recruited and under what conditions they were made to work
The rescue has also prompted authorities to coordinate across state borders to ensure that the minors are returned safely and receive appropriate support.
Investigators are expected to examine the recruitment process, the involvement of contractors and the working conditions at the food unit. If the allegations of bonded labour and employment of minors are established, the authorities may initiate further legal action against those responsible.
For now, the rescued minors remain under the care of the authorities while arrangements are being made for their rehabilitation and return home.
