Bengaluru: A massive statewide crackdown on child labour has exposed a disturbing reality in Karnataka — nearly 800 children were found working in establishments ranging from hotels and eateries to garages and shops.Police teams conducted raids at nearly 17,000 premises across the state following chief minister DK Shivakumar’s directive to intensify the fight against child labour. The move came after Shivakumar reportedly witnessed a child labourer during his visit to Yeshwantpur APMC Yard in Bengaluru on Sept 8, prompting him to order a statewide crackdown.Police launched the operation Wednesday across 962 police station limits, targeting commercial establishments, industries, hotels, shops, garages, eateries, roadside food stalls, milk parlours and other workplaces where children were suspected to be employed. Bengaluru emerged as the epicentre of the crackdown, accounting for 503 of the nearly 800 children rescued across the state. Vijayapura followed with 72 rescues, while 33 children were rescued in Tumakuru. In Bengaluru alone, police teams inspected 5,897 establishments under the jurisdiction of 188 police stations as part of the special drive.The citywide operation saw 66 children rescued in the North division, 71 in East, 22 in Whitefield, 63 in Central, 54 in South, 84 in West, 17 in North-West, 14 in South-West, 55 in North-East, 13 in South-East and three in Electronics City.Police said the children were being paid monthly wages ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 16,000. Many were employed in small establishments and informal businesses, highlighting the extent of child labour operating beyond the scrutiny of formal workplaces.The rescued children included those from Karnataka as well as Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Nepal, police said.Police said the operation has also resulted in enforcement action against employers. FIRs have been registered in five cases against those accused of employing children, while multiple notices have been issued to employers in several other cases. Of the rescued children, 54 have so far been handed over to various district Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) for rehabilitation and care.Poor economic conditionsThe operation also laid bare the socio-economic hardships pushing children into the workforce. In several cases, parents or guardians were aware that the children were working.“Illiteracy and poor economic conditions have forced these children to take up jobs. Along with rescuing them, we are counselling them to return to education. We are also speaking to their parents and guardians and advising them not to send the children back to work,” said a senior police officer involved in the statewide coordination of the drive.Officials said the focus will now shift to preventing rescued children from returning to workplaces and ensuring they are brought back into the education and rehabilitation system.
