Chandigarh: 15 children working at a liquor plant rescued

They are reported to be working ten hours a day.

The raid was conducted under the guidance of DC Mandip Brar, by the different wings of the UT administration including District Child Protection Team, local SDMs, an NGO Bachpan Bachao Andloan, and the Anti Human trafficking wing of Chandigarh Police.

The team members claimed that the plant, M/s Rock and Storm Bottlers Pvt Ltd, is spread in a huge area and they suspect that more underage workers are working in the plant.

“The information about child labour was developed from multiple sources. The matter was discussed at the highest level. Joint teams were constituted and the raid was conducted. The manager of the plant informed that the underage persons were hired through a private contractor. The liquor plant falls in the hazard category and underage persons cannot be employed there,” said Tabassum Khan, a leading councillor with District Child Protection Team

“We lodged a DDR in this connection. The UT Social Welfare Department will submit a detailed report and an official complaint after the detailed counselling of the rescued persons. We have provided all the logistic help to the raiding party. The manager of the raided factory was called, who claimed that the workers were supplied by a contractor. The children were being used in the packaging step,” said DSP (east) Gurmukh Singh.

Sources said that the information was developed through counselling of juveniles brought to different shelter homes. The rescued children had disclosed during their counselling that many children were still working in various liquor plants in the Industrial Area. Sources added that some of these children have also developed an alchohol dependency while working at these plants.