New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked
the city government to file a report on rescue of child
workers, giving various details including the total number of
such workers rescued so far by it and the steps taken to
rehabilitate them.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice
Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) AS Chandhiok, appearing for Delhi government, to file a status
report by December 3, the next date of hearing.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by NGO Save the
Childhood Foundation alleging the city government and its
agencies were not complying with the earlier court order on
rescue of children workers and their proper rehabilitation.
Advocate HS Phoolka, appearing for the NGO, said "the
government agencies should have rescued around 12,000 child
workers by now but sadly, it has not been done. They have also
not collected a fine of Rs 20,000 per children from nearly 270
erring employers."
Citing a response received under the Right to Information
Act, the lawyer said "the state received grant of Rs 11.5
crore from the central government for the welfare and
rehabilitation of such children. However, only Rs 2.5 crore
has been spent."
The court, which fixed the matter for hearing on December
3, asked the ASG to look into the issues and find a solution.
Earlier, the court had taken a strong note of a botched-
up rescue operation for child workers as erring employers took
them back from the custody of government officials due to
improper police protection during raids.
In March this year, volunteers of the NGO, the SDM and
four police constables, who had rescued children from various
Zari units near Geeta Colony in East Delhi, were attacked by
the employers who also took some the kids away.
PTI
