Of the 4,310 child labourers rescued from different areas of the Capital since 2009, only 19 were from Delhi and 99 per cent belonged to other places across the country.
The Delhi Government’s Labour Department has taken steps to repatriate these children to their native places and rehabilitate them.
Stating this in an affidavit filed in the Delhi High Court earlier this week, the Department sought directions for streamlining the rehabilitation of rescued child labourers. For children belonging to Delhi, the Social Welfare Department must be directed to ensure that they are admitted to the MCD schools, it stated.
The matter related to a writ petition moved by non-government organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan, on which the Court has been issuing directions to the authorities since 2009 to take steps to rescue and rehabilitate child workers. The matter came up on Wednesday before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R. S. Endlaw.
The Labour Department sends Rs.25,000 to District Magistrates annually for the welfare of each rescued child, but do not get utilisation certificates regularly from them, stated the affidavit. It also pointed out that there was no effective tracing and tracking mechanism.
The affidavit pointed out that instances of sexual abuse of girls trafficked for child labour were regularly reported in Delhi and sought the High Court’s directions to the Resident Commissioners of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh to cooperate with the Department for rehabilitating them.
The Court asked the Delhi Government to consider suggestions made by the NGO to ensure the rescue of child labourers from factories, industrial units, hotels and other places. Posting the matter for hearing on September 1, the Bench asked the respondents to consider the proposals to be submitted by the petitioner within a week.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan counsel H. S. Phoolka regretted that only 4,310 children had been rescued so far. He pointed out that it will take the next 36 years in getting all child workers released from the places where they were being exploited. “Labour Inspectors know the places where children are illegally employed, but they are slow in taking action,” Mr. Phoolka added.
The Court also asked the Department authorities to randomly visit places where they detect the possibility of children being forced to work.
Published - July 21, 2014 09:57 am IST
