Action against Govt staff engaging underage children as domestic help

Punjab Government has decided to take action against the government employees found guilty of engaging underage children as domestic helps in their houses.

The decision was taken on the recommendation of Protection of Child Rights Commission, said the Commission’s chairman Sukesh Kalia on Wednesday. 

Kalia said that the government employees defying the Child labour laws and engaging domestic help below the age of 14 years would face action under Rule 5 of Punjab Civil Services Rules, 1970. “The Commission is taking appropriate care of the children so that they cannot be exploited in any way,” he said. 

The Commission,taking suo motu notice of the news reports in a section of press regarding the sad demise of a child Amritpal Singh at National Public School, Jalalabad, in Muktsar district during school hours, the Commission asked the Administration to register case under section 299 of Indian Penal Code against the Hindi teacher Rajni and the Principal or Administrator of the school.

Kalia has asked them to send the compliance report to the Commission within a week. According to the Commission’s findings, the teacher along with the Principal was held directly responsible for inflicting corporal punishment, which was completely banned, to the child leading to his unfortunate death.