NHRC notice to U.P, 12 other states over child labour cases
The notice comes after a Punjab-based non-profit organisation -- called ‘Sahyog Care for You’ -- submitted a complaint regarding the ‘lacklustre’ action taken in 306 cases concerning children in the past year.
LUCKNOW The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to 13 states, including Uttar Pradesh, asking the respective state governments to be more proactive in identification and rescue of bonded child labourers. The notice also asks these states to follow the due process concerned with cases of child labour more efficiently.
The notice comes after a Punjab-based non-profit organisation -- called ‘Sahyog Care for You’ -- submitted a complaint regarding the ‘lacklustre’ action taken in 306 cases concerning children in the past year.
The NHRC has found a large number of cases of bonded child labour cases in Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Haryana, New Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, among other states. Therefore, the commission has directed that the respective state governments, and more specifically their labour commissions, take necessary action in properly rescuing and rehabilitating children, and disbursing the compensatory funds.
Additionally, legal action must be taken against those employers who hire child labours. “These young people, who are often exposed to hazardous working conditions, deserve a chance to lead a normal life free from exploitation and full of opportunities,” said the report.
The labour commissioners are expected to submit their responses as promptly as possible. Shekhar Mahajan, founder of the non-profit in question, said, “The notice issued by the NHRC serves as a reminder to the state authorities and the society that child labour is an unacceptable crime against humanity. It calls for collective efforts to eradicate this social evil.”
It is important to note that in U.P, the child labour rehabilitation fund has essentially remained untouched, and only three districts have disbursed a portion of the same to the rescued victims since 2017. The remaining amount is collecting dust, according to the data procured through an RTI query filed this year. This was also confirmed by deputy labour commissioner Rakesh Dwivedi.