Ambika Pandit,TNN | Oct 2, 2013, 11.40 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Of the 3,734 children rescued from different districts of Delhi between July 2009 and June 2013, a total of 2,357 (63%) were less than 14 years old, the state government's records show, pointing to the severe exploitation of younger children as cheap labour.

Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights shared the data at a meeting called to discuss the experience of implementing Delhi Plan of Action for Abolition of Child Labour with other state commissions last month.

The city's district task forces have carried out 1,450 rescues since the judgment of the Delhi High Court in 2009. Rajendra Dhar from the Labour Department said that Rs 1.18 crore has been recovered from employers for rehabilitation of the rescued children and more than Rs 35 lakh has been recovered as arrears of minimum wages.

The state also recovered Rs 20,000 per child as rehabilitation amount in keeping with Supreme Court orders. A sum of Rs 1.9 crore has been released to other states. In all these cases, premises of 232 employers were sealed to facilitate recovery and 1,450 FIRs were filed. SBK Singh, joint commissioner of police, reported that prosecution has been initiated in 1,450 cases.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/63-rescued-kids-aged-less-than-14-Govt/articleshow/23424190.cms