Bengaluru, Sep 12 (PTI) Eight hundred children who were allegedly engaged in labour at various establishments across Karnataka were rescued on Saturday during a special drive, officials said.
The drive was conducted by 962 police stations across the state, during which 16,951 premises were checked at various districts. Legal action was also initiated against those who employed children as labourers, they said.
The children were rescued by police following Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s directions for a statewide drive to identify child labourers, after he found children working during his recent visit to the APMC Yard in Bengaluru.
According to police, in Bengaluru alone, 503 children were rescued during the special drives that were conducted by teams of 12 divison of the City Police following the directions of City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh.
Following the drive, 18 cases were registered against shop owners in Bengaluru for engaging children at their respective establishments, police said.
The objective of the drive was to prevent child labour and identify and rescue those children.
In Mysuru city, 13 children were rescued, in Hubballi-Dharwad – 10, in Mangaluru – three, in Kalaburagi – 22, in Bengaluru Rural – nine, the data shared by the CMO office revealed.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, CM Shivakumar said that every child deserves a childhood filled with learning, safety and the freedom to dream.
Recalling his recent visit to the Yeshwanthpur APMC market in Bengaluru, he said that he was deeply concerned to learn that children below 14 were being employed at some shops.
“I immediately directed the officials to take strict action, leading to the rescue of 19 children. Four FIRs have also been registered against the shop owners,” he said, referring to his September 8 visit.
He said the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, is clear in its purpose.
“We will ensure that it is enforced firmly. No child should be made to work when they should be in school, learning and growing. Our government will continue to do everything necessary to protect their rights and secure a better future for our children,” Shivakumar added.
According to police, in Bengaluru, 63 children were rescued from Central, 54 from South, 84 from West, 62 from North, 17 from Southwest, 14 from Northwest, 71 from East, 55 from Northeast, 13 from Southeast, 3 from Electronic City, 22 from Whitefield and 45 from Central Crime Branch jurisdiction limits.
According to the police, teams headed by officers comprising labour inspectors were formed to check all godowns, market places, hotels, lodges, bakeries, bus stops, railway stations, apartments, construction sites etc in all police station limits of the state.
“A total of 5,897 premises were checked and 503 children engaged in labour were rescued,” the office of Bengaluru Commissioner of Police said in a statement.
During the special operation conducted across all divisions of Bengaluru, a total of 18 cases were registered against shop owners under the provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) and the Juvenile Justice Act, it said.
Further investigation is in progress, police added. PTI AMP KH
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