198 child workers rescued in one month in Delhi

Nearly 200 children employed at various places here have been rescued in the past one month, the Delhi government informed the high court Thursday.

A division bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice Manmohan was appraised by the Delhi government that the Delhi chief secretary recently held a meeting with different departments to prevent the employment of children.

Standing Counsel Pawan Sharma, appearing for Delhi government, also filed a progress report on the abolition of child labour.

Sharma also sought exemption from personal appearance for the chief secretary and the labour commissioner, saying that the labour department had said that in the past one month, 198 children were rescued from various places.

On the government's report, senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, appearing for petitioner NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, told the court that if the senior-most officer of the government holds a meeting at least once in a month, the problem will be solved to a great extent.

The court also expressed satisfaction over the progress report, and discharged the officers from personal appearance on the next date of hearing of the plea.

The court had earlier, refusing to withdraw its previous order summoning the officers over alleged inaction to rescue child labourers, asked the government to furnish the progress report by Thursday.

The counsel had submitted a list of pending complaints since July 31, 2013. He contended that out of 17 complaints made on different dates from 2011, only four have been attended to by the labour department.

The court was hearing the PIL seeking complete elimination of child labour from the capital.