Kozhikode: Though Kozhikode claims to have eradicated child labour, raids show that children, especially from other states are employed at units on the city outskirts and often their presence goes unnoticed as the kids are employed along with their parents and stay with them. The lack of proper ID proof confuses officials, who have no other means to determine age and register cases.
This year, three such incidents were traced by the officials and 10 children were rescued and taken to government children’s home in Vellimadukunnu. All the instances were reported from around Pantheerankavu, said district child protection officer Sheeba Mumthas C.K.
“As per the Juvenile Justice Act, children under 18 should not be employed. In the last case, where six children were rescued on Tuesday, the kids were staying with their parents and worked from 6am till late at night. There are no facilities for their education and well-being,” she added.
In September one child, in October three and in November six children were rescued. All the instances were from Nallalam police station limits. The Child Welfare Committees and Child Protection Office state that there should be some provision to provide basic education to these kids, who come along with parents and spend their whole life inside small shops, making toffees or other products.
According to district labour officer Santhosh Kumar TT, they find it difficult to register cases, when there is no proof like Identity cards to prove the age of the children rescued. On Tuesday, of the six children rescued from a sweet shop in Odumbra, the officials suspect that four of them were below 14.
Kids rescued:
September - 1
October - 3
November - 6
Of the six children rescued from a sweet shop in Odumbra, the officials suspect that four of them were below 14​.
