By IANS,
Jaipur : An officer of a government-run milk production plant here was suspended while the services of two private labour contractors were scrapped Friday, a day after at least seven child labourers, all aged below 14 years, were found handling heavy machinery at the plant, officials said.
The police had Thursday rescued the seven child labourers from the Bajaj Nagar-situated plant of Jaipur Dairy which produces milk brand, ‘Saras’, that is widely consumed in Jaipur as well as across Rajasthan. The plant also produces milk products like ‘paneer’ (cottage cheese), curd, butter milk and milk powder.
“This was gross negligence on part of the plant officials. The plant’s deputy manager K.C. Kabra has been suspended, while a show-cause notice has been issued to its manager,” a senior dairy administration officer told IANS.
He added that the services of the two private contractors who had deployed these children at the plant have been scrapped.
“A departmental enquiry has been initiated against the officials,” said the officer.
These labourers had been found working under inhuman conditions at the plant Thursday. Police said that the children were made to work for almost 12 hours each day in the packaging plant of the dairy.
During investigation, it came out that several children were made to escape from the plant minutes before the raid, the officer said.