According to a senior official, all the rescued children are between the age group of 9 to 17 years.
NEW DELHI: In a major step against alleviating child labour, the Delhi Police along with an NGO rescued 25 children including seven girls from various manufacturing units of Alipur. Sahyog care for You, supported by Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation was associated with the Sub District Magistrate (SDM), Alipur, Labour department and Delhi Police in this rescue task.
According to a senior official, all the rescued children are between the age group of 9 to 17 years. “These gullible children were forced to work as child labours in shoe-making units, crockery and sanitary manufacturing units in the area,” said a member of an NGO involved in the rescue task.
The children told to rescue team that they get paltry wages of Rs 100 to Rs 200 per day for more than 15 hours of work. The police have registered an FIR under Sections 370 of IPC, 75 and 79 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and 3 and 14 of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act. The SDM of Alipur has also ordered the police to initiate action against the erring owners of the units.
Speaking on the rescue of children at Alipur, Secretary General of Sahyog Care for You, Shekhar Mahajan said, “ This kind of inhuman treatment and exploitation of the children leads to their mental and physical trauma and hinders their full development.”
He also raised the demand before the SDM and labour department that the rescued children must be fully compensated and the four factories must be sealed and action should be initiated against the factory owners.
Originally published by The New Indian Express, 6 January 2023, available here. Image: The New Indian Express.