51 child labourers rescued from Gujarat's Sabarkantha

Gandhinagar, Feb 4 The Gujarat Labour and Employment Department on Thursday, in a joint operation with NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, rescued 51 children working in seeds warehouses in the state's Sabarkantha.

The Child Labour Task Force, which comprises officials of the Labour Department, the Women and Child Cell of the CID and Bachpan Bachao Aandolan. rescued the child and adolescent labourers from Sabar Seeds and Shri Krishna Seeds at Gandu village in Khedbhrama tehsil of Sabarkantha.

"Better coordination of the Child Labour Task Force showed results and 51 child and adolescent labours were rescued in Khedbhrama. FIRs were registered against people employing children. We are confident that our actions will deter people from employing children," Additional Chief Secretary, Labour and Employment, Vipul Mittra, said.

Action will be taken against the employers under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and Juvenile Justice Act and FIRs have been registered under the necessary sections of the IPC.

"The state government wants to end the practice of child labour. Child labour is not acceptable, and it is our collective responsibility to stop it," Mitra added.

( With inputs from IANS )