Child Line rescues four minors employed as child labourers in three city restaurants

Kolkata: The Child Line, Kolkata, rescued four minors from different restaurants in Salt Lake. The members of the inspection team were accompanied and assisted by Bidhannagar East police station.

The children were brought from Murshidabad and North Dinajpur. Their family members will be called by the Child Line authority accordingly.

According to the police, the Child Line, Kolkata, had information about some restaurant owners at Baisakhi in Salt Lake, who had engaged minors as labourers. Based on the information, Sajal Majumdar, a member of Child Line, Kolkata, Sangita Mukherjee, Assistant Labour Commissioner and Ganesh Chandra Karmakar, Inspector of Minimum Wages, visited the AG market premises at Baisakhi.

During the inspection, they found that four children were engaged as labourers in three restaurants located there. Upon confirmation, the team went to Bidhannagar East police station, seeking police assistance.

Later, a team from Bidhannagar East police station, comprising a lady sub-inspector and constables, went along with the team and sought an explanation for hiring children as labourers from the restaurant owners. As the restaurant owners of VIP Snacks, Monerekho and Akhon Khabo could not provide satisfactory answers, the four children engaged as child labourers were rescued and brought to the police station.

Later, they were handed over to Child Line, Kolkata. On the other hand, each of the restaurant owners have been issued a show-cause notice for employing the children in their restaurants. Sources informed that the authorities may take legal action if the restaurants fail to provide satisfactory answers within the stipulated time.