Telangana police wins FICCI Smart Police Award 2022 for worksite school project

Hyderabad: Worksite school project of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate of Telangana State Police initiated in January 2017 by then CP Mahesh M Bhagwat, IPS, currently ADG CID bagged Smart Police Award of FICCI, New Delhi in the category of “Child Safety” in Homeland security conference at FICCI Federation House, New Delhi on Friday.

Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar has appreciated worksite school initiative of Mahesh Bhagwat and team for noble cause of basic education to children rescued from hazardous brick kiln industries thereby protecting child rights.

On December 14, 2022, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), New Delhi had invited entries from Telangana Police for FICCI award for best practices in Smart Policing-2022. Amongst 117 entries received from 23 organisations, including 17 State police forces and six CAPFs and other Central agencies, “Worksite schools” project of Rachakonda Commissionarate initiated by the then CP Mahesh M Bhagwat, IPS, got shortlisted for Smart Policing Award under Child safety category.

On September 15, at FICCI Federation House, New Delhi, Award ceremony was conducted during the program, “Home Land Security-2023” jointly organised by FICCI and Vivekananda International Foundation. Padmasree awardee BSF DG (Retd) Prakash Singh, ManjariJaruhar, Retd Special DG CISF, Arvind Gupta, IFS, retd formerly Deputy National Security Advisor has honoured Mahesh M Bhagwat with Smart Policing award. In January 2017, during Operation Smile, 370 Odisha migrant workers’ children were rescued from Brick Kilns in Choutuppal and Bommalaramaram mandals of Bhongir Yadadri District of Rachakonda Police Commissionarate.

As part of their rehabilitation, the then Commissioner involved other agencies like District Collectors of Yadadri Bhongir, Ranga Reddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri to provide mid-day meal scheme and government classrooms. Brick Kiln owners association involved to provide school uniforms for children and local transportation facility; Civil Society Aide et Action led by Umi Daniel and Suresh Gutta involved to provide teachers from Odisha and Maharashtra to teach children rescued from child labour job in their Oriya/Marathi mother tongue. These worksite schools, running from January to May every year and after that with the integration certificate children are going back to their native States Odisha / Maharashtra and continuing higher education. As on today, 6500 Oriya children and 55 children from Maharashtra were rescued from Brick kilns and got educated in worksite schools.

The project with multi-partner convergence ensured Right to Education Act getting strictly implemented along with zero tolerance to child labour. Earlier, this was lauded by Noble Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi and in 2018 received Civil and Human Rights Award from International Association of Chief of Police, America.

Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar, IPS, appreciated the initiative of Rachakonda Police Commissionarate for bringing national as well as international laurels to Telangana Police. ADG CID Mahesh Bhagwat, after accepting the award has acknowledged the work done by Rachakonda Commissionarate police ranks from Home guards/SPO to DCPs Bhongir, LB Nagar &Malkajigiri Zones. He specially appreciated contribution of the then Collector Yadadri Anita Ramchandran, IAS, and the then Collector Rangareddy District Raghunandan Rao, IAS, with Aid et action NGO coordinator Suresh Gutta and Brick kiln owners association president Rajendra Reddy.