Chandigarh, Jul 30 (PTI) The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken cognisance of the death of four children in a wall collapse incident in Hisar last year and directed the concerned authorities to submit detailed reports before the next hearing scheduled for October. The incident took place on December 22, 2024, at a brick kiln in Budana village. Three children were injured in the wall collapse.
The matter was brought to the commission’s attention through a complaint filed by a human rights activist.
The deceased minors’ parents were migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh working at the brick kiln, observed the bench of the commission comprising chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and Members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia.
Many families of labourers from Uttar Pradesh worked at the kiln in Budana. The children and some labourers were sleeping near one of the walls of the brick kiln when it collapsed on them.
The commission remarked that the workers and their families were living in extremely inhumane and unsafe conditions.
According to the commission, this was a preventable tragedy that occurred due to a lack of legal enforcement and failure to provide basic human necessities, Dr Puneet Arora, Information and Public Relations Officer of the Commission, said.
On preliminary examination, the commission termed the incident a gross violation of human rights and a clear case of administrative failure. It also observed that the circumstances reflected indicators of bonded labour, which is prohibited under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
The commission, under the leadership of Justice Batra, stated that the brick kiln owner had both a moral and statutory duty to provide secure housing, clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, and workplace safety to labourers and their families.
The commission found this to be a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India and of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In its order dated July 24, the commission has directed the authorities concerned to submit detailed reports within eight weeks.
The deputy commissioner of the district will be confirming whether any compensation has been granted to the affected families, while the assistant labour commissioner will investigate the existence of bonded labour at the site and initiate appropriate remedial action, the commission noted.
Explanation from the owner of the brick kiln is required regarding the lack of safety and residential arrangements for labourers at the site, the commission said.
The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for October 14, by which date all concerned officials are required to submit their respective reports before the commission, it said. PTI SUN SHS RHL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.