Girl among 20 child labourers rescued from parts of Capital

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government, along with the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), on Tuesday night rescued 20 child labourers, including a girl, from different parts of the city.

The children were presented in front of the Child Welfare Committee on Wednesday and the government ensured all necessary steps to be taken on an urgent basis.

The owners, who kept these children were also penalised by the government.

“We first got the news from the Childline regarding six children at Bhalswa Diary area. We also came to know that the SDM has not taken any action. Hence, the DCPCR along with officials of the Delhi Labour department visited the area.

“We found three children at a glove-making factory and three at a bakery. One of the six children rescued was a girl aged between 12 and 14,” said an official of DCPCR. The government has kept the children in their custody.

“We also got a report that many child labourers were kept near Shahdara at Babarpur. Fourteen children were rescued upon visiting the site,” said an official.

Officials added that the children were working at a chips factory and were forced to work in excess of 12 hours.

The children were kept in small rooms without ventilation and were neither allowed to go out nor were provided with nutritional food, said the official. Another official informed that the government has registered cases against the owners of these factories.

“The children were brought on the pretext of providing education with a good life. But the reality is that these are all part of child labour rackets,” said officials.

They noted that the ages of these children was between 10 and 14.

It was also found that the owners kept the children together and there were no separate arrangements for the girl.

“All the children were present in front of the Child Welfare Committee that is yet to decide on further actions. We will return the children to the respective families. The government will reach out to the families and make the arrangements for the return of these children,” said the official.

He added that if the parents deny acceptance or the children are found to be orphans, the government-run child care institutions will take of them and sponsor their education.

The children were presented in front of the Child Welfare Committee on Wednesday and the government ensured all necessary steps to be taken on an urgent basis