15 juveniles rescued from NBCC construction site

Child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday rescued 15 juveniles who were found working as child labour at an NBCC construction site in the national capital.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo told IANS that they will send notices to top officials of the NBCC, Director of Estate and the Delhi Police, over the issue.

"Government officials' involvement in child labour is completely unacceptable. We will conduct an audit at all the construction sites of NBCC," Kanoongo added.

The incident came to limelight when Kanoongo, who was at the construction site in East Kidwai Nagar area of south Delhi for a personal work earlier in the day, noticed a juvenile working there.

"On intervention, it was revealed that there were more children, who came mostly from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and have been working at the site for some time," he said.

The team of NCPCR officers, along with Childline workers, were immediately sent to the site for the rescue of children. While the NBCC officials initially opposed and allegedly misbehaved with the team, the rescue operation was successfully carried out.

The 15 rescued children were taken to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) where their statements were recorded. The CWC has also ordered for lodging an FIR, but it was yet to be done when the reports last came in.

--IANS

som/nir