The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court notices to Centre, Delhi Govt.

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Friday, Nov 02, 2007
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New Delhi

High Court notices to Centre, Delhi Govt.

Staff Reporter

Conflicting claims over status of rescued child labourers

Both directed to file a reply within two weeks
The children were rescued on a tip-off by an NGO

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi Government seeking explanation on two conflicting claims made by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Hauz Khas) and non-government organisation Bachpan Bachao Aandolan regarding the status of children reportedly rescued from a confectionery shop at Shahpur Jat in South Delhi on October 29.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued the notices on an application by the NGO disputing the SDM’s claim that those rescued were “neglected children” and not bonded labourers as claimed by it.

The Bench directed the Centre and the Delhi Government to file a reply within two weeks to the conflicting claims after ascertaining the status of the children. The SDM had sought custody of the children from the NGO submitting that they were “neglected children” and that he required them for their rehabilitation.

The Delhi police had rescued the children on a tip-off by the NGO. The children are at present with the NGO on a direction from a lower court here. The court had given their custody to the NGO on their production following their rescue. The High Court also ordered that the children remain with the NGO till further orders.

The Court also pulled up the two governments for not doing enough to deal with the problem of child labour in the country.

Referring to the recent decision by international ready-made garments brand GAP to withdraw garments from their outlets exported from India when it learnt that children were employed in their manufacturing, the Bench said a foreign company had come to know what was happening in India but the Government had failed to tackle the problem.

On another petition, the Bench had on October 24 asked the Union Labour Ministry to finalise a scheme for prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of child labourers in the country within four weeks.

The Bench has been hearing public interest litigation by Ashok Aggarwal of non-government organisation Social Jurist seeking directions for rehabilitation of child labourers rescued from working places across the country.

Mr. Aggarwal approached the High Court in 2005, bringing to its notice the plight of child labourers belonging to Bihar who had been rescued from “zari” factories here following raids by the Delhi police. The petition alleged that the Delhi Government had no plans to rehabilitate such children.

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