Date:12/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/12/stories/2006101218530400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

19 child labourers rescued

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: As many as 19 children were rescued here on Wednesday after the ban on employing children as domestic help came into effect on Tuesday.

Makkala Sahayavani rescued two girls aged nine and 12 from a house at Channammakere Achhukattu in Banashankari 3rd Stage.

The two girls from Kolkata have been working in the house for the past two years.

The Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA) rescued four children aged between 10 and 11 years. Three children were rescued from hotels in Banasawadi and Sarjapur.

Of them, two were found abandoned near a hospital where their employer had gone to get a certificate endorsing the children to be above 14 years. The APSA rescued an 11-year-old girl from a house at Vinayaka Nagar, J.P. Nagar 5th Phase.

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO) has received 21 calls. It rescued a 12-year-old girl from a house in Shanti Nagar and an 11-year-old boy from a house in Vijayanagar. A 12-year-old boy from Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu was rescued from a construction site. Ten children were rescued from various hotels.

The agencies faced resistance from some employers.