Labour, not child’s age, that counts

The widespread, illegal and blatant employment of children by a large number of establishments across Pune was evident yet again recently during a random survey conducted by a post-graduate student of social work.

The student, Ganesh Garud, surveyed 35 establishments in Kothrud,  Market Yard and Nana Peth areas in the first week of May where he found 19 children being employed by the establishments including restaurants, food joints, garages, grocery and vegetable shops.

“I found about 19 children working in these shops between 11 and 14 years of age. Some of them had come from other cities to earn a living for their family," Ganesh said while speaking to DNA. He then reported his survey findings to the city’s child welfare committee and the labour commissionerate urging them to take action. Officials from the labour department and the police conducted raids on June 5 and with the help of the Samarth police station, rescued two children below 14 years working at a restaurant.

Senior inspector Sanjay Bhambure, in-charge of Samarth police station told DNA that sub-inspector Bhimrao Gajare has lodged a complaint against the Shri Swami Samarth Snack Centre at Nana Peth from where two boys from Uttar Pradesh were resced.

“One of the boys was cleaning the floor while the other was serving food when the police reached the restaurant. The children will be sent to observation homes,” Bhambure said. The restaurant’s owner, Santosh Naturam Dhamal was arrested under the relevant sections of The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation), Act, 1986. Garud received threatening calls from unidentified persons warning that he discontinue his work.