Bonded Child Worker Rescued, Rehabilitated
ASR district officials rescued a bonded child labourer from a sweet shop in Hukumpeta and shifted him to a children’s home in Visakhapatnam for care and rehabilitation.
Officials of ASR district administration rescued a bonded child labourer from a sweet shop in Hukumpeta mandal in the ASR district on Thursday and shifted him to a children's home in Visakhapatnam.
Following media reports on child labourers, the ASR district collector Nishanti T. formed a joint team comprising officials of the labour department and representatives of ICPS, ICDS, and SEEDS and conducted surprise inspections at several small commercial establishments in Hukumpeta mandal.
During the inspections, the team found a boy below 14 years of age working as a child labourer at a snacks and sweets shop in Hukumpeta.
The child was immediately rescued and shifted to the Children’s Home at Arilova, Visakhapatnam. Necessary measures have been initiated to provide the child with care, education, and rehabilitation.
Officials stated that cases have been registered against the shop owner under the provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Minimum Wages Act for employing a child labourer.
The officials reiterated that employing children as labourers is a punishable offence under the law.
They appealed to the public to immediately report any instances of child labour to the concerned department officials or the 1098 child helpline so that prompt action can be taken.
