Dimapur : District Administration Rescues 41 Child Labourer from Town

Kohima: Dimapur District Administration on Wednesday was on war-footing as they conducted a rescue operation of child laborers from the town.

The Immediate Response Team under Dimapur District Task Force (DDTF), chaired by Dimapur District Commissioner conducted the rescue of child labors from garages, workshops, hotels, and shops from various locations in Dimapur on Wednesday.

41 children belonging to the age group of 10-14 years were rescued by the team from Duncan Basti, Notun Basti, Churches Colony, Khermahal, Golaghat Road and Eros Lane area.

A press release issued by CHILDLINE said that the children rescued were produced before the Child Welfare Committee Dimapur (CWC) along with their parents and guardians. The employers were summoned before the CWC whereby penalty was imposed as per the relevant act and was made to sign bonds declaring not to employ any children below 14 years in the future.

The Immediate Response Team under Dimapur District Task Force (DDTF) includes SDO (Civil) N. Zubenthung Ngullie, District Child Protection Officer of Dimapur, Tiamenla, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Subonenba Longkumer, Nodal Director CHILDLINE 1098, Yolise Sangtam, Labour Inspector and CHILDLINE Dimapur.

The task force informed that it will be conducting more rescue operations at regular intervals in different locations and warned that any person found employing children below 14 years of age shall be dealt strictly as per the law which may include fines, imprisonment or both and even cancellation of trade license.

As per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, a ‘Child’ is defined as any person below the age of 14 and the Act prohibits employment of a child in any employment including as a domestic help. It is a cognizable criminal offense to employ a child for any work.

Children between the age of 14 and 18 are defined as ‘Adolescent’ and the law allows Adolescent to be employed except in the listed hazardous occupation and processes which include mining, inflammable substance, and explosives-related work and any other hazardous process as per the Factories Act, 1948.

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