6 child labourers rescued from I&B ministry site

Six bonded child labourers were reportedly rescued from a construction site of Soochna Bhawan, the office of the ministry of information and broadcasting.

Six bonded child labourers were reportedly rescued from a construction site of Soochna Bhawan, the office of the ministry of information and broadcasting.

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Acting on a complaint filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, the police along with sub-divisional magistrate (south district) reportedly raided a construction site of Soochna Bhawan in CGO Complex and rescued six bonded child labourers.

The children, aged between 13 and 17 years, were allegedly engaged in iron rod cutting, electric and plumber work. All belong to Bihar and UP. Found to be working in poor conditions, some of them had sore hands and feet. They were staying in temporary hutments along the site.

They told the police that they had been working for Era Infra Engineering Ltd for more than 12 hours a day and got R130 to R160 as daily wages, which is much less than the prescribed minimum wages in Delhi.

“The rescued children are declared bonded labourers as they were getting lesser wages than the defined minimum wages for labourers in Delhi notified by the government,” said Pravesh Ranjan Jha, SDM, New Friends Colony. “They will be given a release certificate. Besides, the government will provide them a compensation of R20,000 each,” he added.

“I was told that I will get Rs 130 as daily wages, but I have not been paid anything so far,” said Gopal (name changed), 14, who was trafficked to the city by his brother-in-law.

“Most of these children were barely clad. They were not working in a closed factory, but very much out in the open,” said RS Chaurasia, chairperson, BBA.

“People must complain to the authorities concerned. It’s time there is some pro-active action to check child labour,” he added.