Following the suspicious death of a minor girl reported at a private aqua processing unit near Pamarru in Krishna district a couple of days ago, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) inspected the unit on Saturday.
The Commission Chairperson, Kesali Appa Rao, and the CWC Chairperson, K. Suvartha were accompanied among others by the officials of the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW), and the Police, besides the representatives of an NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), during the visit.
Monalisa Khatun (13) of 24 North Parganas district, West Bengal, died under suspicious circumstances near the aqua plant on September 20.
Later, SCPCR Members T. Adi Lakshmi and J. Rajendra Prasad said the workers engaged in the company were living in pathetic conditions near the worksite.
“During the inspection, it was noticed that more than 1,000 men and women were working in the aqua processing unit, and were accommodated in sheds. A few workers, suspected to be minors, were also engaged for work and we are verifying their age,” Mr. Appa Rao told The Hindu.
“We have verified the Aadhaar cards of the workers. The management has not issued ID cards for them. They were living in sheds and the conditions were pathetic,” Ms Suvartha said.
Pamarru SI P.V. Praveen Kumar Reddy said a few families were also working in the company and that the management had sent some labourers to their native villages after the death of Monalisa.
“The HR manager, Venkateswara Rao, has been directed to submit the details of all the workers in the company, along with their nativity, salary and other details,” Mr. Appa Rao.
