Imphal, June 07 2011: Seventeen children, all hailing from Tamenglong district, rescued from Maharashtra where they had been allegedly sold, were brought back to the state by officials of the Child Welfare Committee Tamenglong and state Social Welfare Department, Imphal.

They reached Tamenglong district HQ today morning, said director Sheityabati of the state Social Welfare Department who added that whereabouts of eight children who were taken along with the 17 children are yet to be ascertained.

Speaking to reporters at her office, the director said that the 17 boys and girls of ages ranging from six to 13 years were taken away by persons who lured their parents and guardians with promises of good education.

This happened sometime in 2007 .

The director said, these children were rescued following a series of awareness campaigns conducted by the Social Welfare Department conducted in Tamei, Tousem and Tamenglong sub-divisions.

Following the campaigns, parents and guardians came approached the authorities to save their children, Sheityabati asserted.

The Tamenglong Child Welfare Committee, has came to know that the children were sold to various places, she said.

She said that the department has submitted a proposal for setting up two children homes, each having a 200 children capacity in every district HQs.

She also informed that Joint Secretary of DoNER, PK Patnaik who was in the capital, had inspected the Deulahlane Children Home today before leaving for New Delhi.

Source