New Delhi, June 22nd, 2012

Persistence of the National Human Rights Commission has paid with the Bihar Government finally agreeing after a long period to start departmental proceedings against the two officers who were found responsible for inaction in a matter involving child labour in dye and colour manufacturing companies, Draulia Colour and Sindoor Factory, Draulia Sindoor Products and Natraj Chemicals in Lakhisarai district of Bihar.

The Commission has given four weeks time to the Chief Secretary in its final reminder calling for details of action taken against the guilty officers and the erring companies failing which it shall resort to Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 which may also involve issuance of conditional summons for his personal presence before it. The Commission has also asked for the details of monetary relief given to the children by the State and the erring companies as per the relevant sections of the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act.

The Commission had registered this case under no. 2256/4/2000-2001 on a complaint received on the 17th August, 2000. Thereafter, Commission issued a number of notices subsequent to which though the children were admitted in schools, but no details were provided whether any amount as fine was recovered from the employers of the children as per the provisions under the relevant sections of the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act or the action taken against the erring officers and the hazardous substance manufacturing companies which employed those children. The State was also called upon to pay rupees five thousand per children towards its contribution, but so far no report has been submitted to the Commission.

During the course of several proceedings in the interim period, the Commission observed that "it is a glaring case where the government officers/officials in connivance with the factory owner made all efforts to save the factory owners from all types of criminal actions." In fact, the children were found to have been shifted elsewhere when the factory owners got an inkling that these will be raided. Despite this, after the raid seven children were found in the Natraj Chemicals factory, in addition to many other workers, who were employed as children but had become grown up adults over a period of time showing glaring neglect on the part of authorities who were mandated to stop child labour.

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