Two child labourers rescued in Deoghar during Spl Drive

Shatrughn Prasad

Deoghar

A special child labour eradication drive conducted across Deoghar district on Thursday led to the rescue of two child labourers from separate hotels, officials said.

Acting on the directions of the Deputy Commissioner, a district-level raid team carried out intensive inspections at various hotels and establishments on June 19 as part of an ongoing campaign against child labour. During the operation, two children were found engaged in labour at two different hotels and were subsequently rescued.

The rescued children have been produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Deoghar, for further care, rehabilitation, and legal protection.

The surprise inspection drive was carried out with the participation of labour department officials, child protection personnel, and representatives of non-governmental organisations. The team included Labour Enforcement Officers Bhushan Yadav (Deoghar), Rajesh Yadav (Sarwan), Tinku Kumar Das (Mohanpur), Divyalok Priyadarshi (Madhupur), Jaykumar Yadav (Sarth), and Deepak Kumar Saw (Palojori). NGO representatives Vipul Singh of Chetna Vikas and Deepa Kumari of Aashraya, along with Child Helpline Supervisor Parvez Ansari, also took part in the operation.

Officials said strict action can be initiated against employers found violating child labour laws. Referring to the Supreme Court’s December 10, 1996 order in the M.C. Mehta versus State of Tamil Nadu case, authorities noted that an amount ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹50,000 may be deposited in the District Child and Adolescent Labour Fund in such cases.

In addition, employers may face criminal proceedings under Section 14 of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016, for violations related to the employment of children and adolescents.

The administration reiterated that employing children below 14 years of age is a criminal offence and is completely prohibited in any establishment. It also emphasised that adolescents below 18 years cannot be employed in hazardous occupations or processes.

Appealing to the public to support the campaign against child labour, officials urged citizens to immediately report instances of children working in homes, hotels, dhabas, brick kilns, motor garages, crushers, or other establishments. Such cases can be reported through the toll-free helplines 1800-345-6526 and 1098.