29 Feb 2008

PATNA: Voluntary group Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) freed 107 child labourers from Delhi, where a section of them was engaged in the Seelampur-based embroidery work and the remaining ones in the lac factory at Daryaganj. On Thursday, they were brought to Patna. All the freed children were in the age group of 7-14 years.

BBA state secretary Ajay Kumar Singh said that they were freed from their exploitative employers between February 5 and 7 with support from the Delhi police. Of the freed children, 55 were from Katihar, 35 from Sitamarhi, six each from East Champaran and Darbhanga, four from Purnia, and one each from Bhagalpur and Madhubani.

Singh said that all the children have left for their homes in their respective districts accompanied by officials concerned, but seven others were still in Patna because the officials from Motihari and Madhubani did not turn up.

Bihar State Child Labour Commission chairman Ramdeo Prasad said that each of the freed children would be given Rs 20,000 for the rehabilitation work. Their families would be linked to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP). BBA secretary appreciated the help provided by the state’s labour department officials in this regard.

Earlier on Wednesday, labour officials rescued two child labourers from separate hotels of Patna city locality. A team of labour department led by labour enforcement office Mahes Chandra Jha raided the hotels.

"While one rescued child is 13 year old, the other one is 12 year old", Jha told TOI.

He said that more such raids would be conducted in different localties of the city in days to come so that Patna could be made a child labour free city.