Thirtythree persons, including 16 children, of seven families from Tharamangalam in this district have been rescued from bonded labour in Andhra Pradesh.
Acting on a tip-off, District Collector K Magarabhushanam recently ordered a 13-member team comprising police and revenue officials to rescue the bonded labourers.
The team with assistance of Andhra Pradesh police rescued all the 33 -- ten men, six women and 16 children and an agent -- following a raid on the premises in Kuppam area of Chitoor District, Tharamangalam Police Inspector Lakshmanan told PTI today.
They were given a cash assistance of Rs 1,000 each by the Chitoor District administration and sent home.
Today, sixteen adults among them were handed over Rs 19,000 each by the Salem District Collector.
Later, they were produced before Mettur Sub-Collector and enrolled under the Mahathma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme and given identity cards.
