Notice to 6 states on child labour

The Commission asked the state authorities to submit action taken reports within eight weeks. “The NHRC has taken it very seriously that six states have adopted lackadaisical attitude in the rehabilitation of 740 bonded child labourers rescued from various parts of Rajasthan during March, 2013 to July, 2014,” said a statement issued by the Commission. 

During the court of inquiry, the Commission found that 740 child labourers were rescued which included 610 from Bihar and the rest 130 from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. But release certificates were issued for only 456 children from Bihar. However, they were not given copies of the certificates by the authorities in Rajasthan. 

Release Certificates for 284 rescued bonded child labourers were yet to be issued, which are essential to start their rehabilitation, the statement stated. “The issue of the rescue of child labourers is not merely an instance of employing a child in violation of laws. 

It is rather more heinous in nature that children are being taken from one state to another, which cannot happen without the involvement of human/ child traffickers,” observed Justice D Murugesan, Member, NHRC.