Delhi HC notice to state labour dept over illegal placement agencies

The court was hearing an application related to a 2018 contempt plea filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a non-governmental organisation

The Delhi high court on Monday sought the response of the government’s labour department on the alleged non-compliance to curtail trafficking through illegal placement agencies.

In the 2018 plea, the NGO flagged the Delhi government’s alleged failure to register placement agencies employing children, and said that “unregulated functioning of placement agencies” leads to trafficking. (Representational Image)

The court was hearing an application related to a 2018 contempt plea filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a non-governmental organisation (NGO). In the application, the NGO demanded closure of unregistered and unlicensed placement agencies in a time-bound manner.

It also said that the authorities failed to implement earlier orders passed by the court in 2010 and 2014 to check trafficking.

Asking the additional and deputy labour commissioners to appear in the court in this regard, it posted the matter for hearing on the fresh plea on May 26.

In the 2018 plea, the NGO flagged the Delhi government’s alleged failure to register placement agencies employing children, and said that “unregulated functioning of placement agencies” leads to trafficking.

According to the contempt petition, the Delhi government in 2014 informed the high court that it had issued an order for the registration of private placement agencies providing domestic workers.

In its application, the NGO said that it in order to assess the functionality of the process of registration of placement agencies, they made a dummy registration using fictional addresses and false details, and was granted a clearance by the Delhi government through its portal.

The NGO also cited an example of a 15-year-old minor girl placed in a home allegedly by an illegal placement agency, who was rescued after being tortured by her employers.

DELHI GOVT RESPONSE