Mysore/Mysuru: In a drive against child labour, the Labour Department has rescued 71 child labourers in 660 inspections from the last one year in Mysuru district.

According to the inspection drives led by Labour Officer, Senior Labour Inspector and Labour Inspector from April 2022 to March 2023, a total of 20 child labourers and 51 Kishora Karmikaru (Adolescent Labour) totalling 71 children were rescued and were rehabilitated at Government Children’s Home as per the recommendations of Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

Of the total child labourers rescued, 19 were rescued in 153 inspections under the limits of Senior Labour Inspector’s Circle-1 of Mysuru and four from 55 inspections in Circle-2 of Mysuru, followed by two from 77 inspections in Circle-3 of Mysuru and nine from 69 inspections in Circle-4 of Mysuru, 11 from 50 inspections in Nanjangud taluk, 10 from 32 inspections in T. Narasipur taluk, three from 57 inspections in K.R. Nagar and Saligrama taluks, four from 67 inspections in Periyapatna taluk and nine from 60 inspections in Hunsur taluk. No child labourers were found in 34 inspections in H.D. Kote and Sargur taluks.

A fine of Rs. 8,13,334 has been collected from 36 cases under Child & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 and Rs.1.20 lakh fine amount in eight cases where the accused were acquitted by the Court, with the imposition of penalty on them.

Criminal cases will be booked against those who are practicing child labour, at JMFC Court. Prior to that, if the child labour is detected during inspection, the disparity in salary amount given to the child labour will be calculated and 10 times more of the salary amount will be levied as fine and given to child labour. The child labourers will be sent to Balamandira (Government Children’s Home). It is only when their parents sign an undertaking against sending their children to work, that they will be sent along with them. The information will be shared with Department of School Education and Literacy to track their education through school attendance. — Rakesh Jadhav, District Labour Officer