Strictly follow action plan to abolish child labour: HC to AAP govt & police

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the AAP government and the police to strictly follow the Delhi Action Plan for Total Abolition of Child Labour, which gives guidelines on the procedure for interim care and protection of the rescued children. The bench of judges said that it is the duty of the authorities to ensure that there is no violation of the provisions of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Bounded Labour System (Abolition) Act.

The Delhi action plan provides a detailed procedure to be adopted at the pre-rescue and actual rescue stage. The prerescue plan deals with as to how information is to be collected, verified, and the composition of the rescue team. It also provides for preparation of residential centres through Juvenile Justice Homes and NGOS. Meanwhile, the action plan provides a detailed procedure for interim care and protection of the rescued children and for immediate medical examination of the minors. It also lays out how the investigation is to be conducted and charge sheet is to be prepared.

In an action taken report, the Delhi government had earlier said that it rescued 611 children from child labour in 2018-19 out of which 587 has been restored to their families. The Delhi action plan was submitted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and accepted by the High court in its orders in 2009 and 2014.

In a July 2009 judgement, the high court had modified the existing provisions for better rehabilitation of child labourers and had widened the involvement of police in rescue operations of child labour in the city. Thereafter, November 2014, the high court had disposed of a petition seeking complete elimination of child labour from the national capital after the city’s additional commissioner of labour had assured the court of action on the issue.