New Delhi: The city government on Tuesday informed
the Delhi High Court that it has prepared a draft legislation
to regulate placement agencies in the wake of allegations that
some of them were indulging in trafficking children.
The Department of Labour apprised a bench of Acting Chief
Justice AK Sikri that the Delhi Government has prepared a
draft legislation on the issue and it would come into effect
within five months.
The bench, also comprising Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw,
however, asked the government to enact the law expeditiously.
The court was hearing a petition by civil society `Bachpan
Bachao Andolan` which has pointed out so far, no law has been
enacted to curb the menace.
The NGO, in its petition, had alleged some placement
agencies were involved in trafficking children.
The bench also directed the government to file a status
report on actions taken by it to check the menace.
The city government, meanwhile, said many working children
have been rescued from various places and have either been
handed over to their families or sent to rehabilitation
centres.
The high court, during an earlier hearing of the PIL, had
directed the Labour Department to regulate the functioning of
placement agencies. It had also directed the city government
to register all such agencies within a specified period.
The registration would include recording of details of the
persons running the placement agencies as well as their
employees.
PTI
