16 child labourers rescued

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 3

The Bachpan Bachao Andolan along with the Child Protection Department and Railway Protection Force yesterday rescued eight children who were allegedly trafficked from Bihar to Punjab for labour work.

Children were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee for further proceedings.

Dinesh of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan said acting on the tip-off, they along with the officials concerned checked the Karmabhoomi Express train at the railway station from where eight children between the of age 14 to 17 were found. Four children belong to Bihar and four to West Bengal.

The SHO, GRP, Jaskaran Singh, said no case was registered as the children found in the train were not bonded labour.

Meanwhile, on Friday the Bachpan Bachao Andolan team along with the Deputy Director, Factories, Narinder Pal Singh, conducted a raid on JK Garments on Kali Sadak and rescued eight child labourers.

Dinesh said the factory owner had employed these children at a meagre wages and they were forced to spend more hours than the stipulated ones at work.

He added that a complaint was also lodged at a police station for legal action against the factory owner.