NEW DELHI: A joint team of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), Delhi Police, and an NGO rescued 12 child labourers from Gandhi Nagar area. The children were employed at a garment factory and motorcycle repairing shop and working in unsafe and unhygienic conditions.
They were rescued by the teams and provided with masks and sanitisers. Both establishments have been sealed and the contractor has been arrested. The DCPCR carried out the operation with teams of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Vivek Vihar), SHO of Gandhi Nagar police station, Labour Department and NGO — Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA).
The team of the DCPCR was headed by one of the members of the commission, Roop Sudesh Vimal.
“DCPCR along with Delhi Police and NGOs have done a remarkable job. I am confident that in the future more such coordinated actions will take place to irradiate the malpractice of child labour in Delhi,” said Minister of Social Welfare Women and Child Development Rajendra Pal Gautam.
DCPCR chairman Anurag Kundu said, “The Commission is in process of evolving comprehensive long-term strategy to make Delhi Child Labour Free by 2023.” DCPCR said statements of rescued children will be recorded at SDM’s Office and their medical tests including Covid-19 test will also be conducted.
“With the outbreak of Covid-19 and ensuing lockdown, there has been loss of employment and rising poverty is likely to force more children to seek exploitative and hazardous jobs,” said DCPRC.