58 child workers with burnt hands rescued from Som Distilleries liquor factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen

At least 58 children, including 20 girls, were rescued from a liquor factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district where they were working, with the skin on their hands found to be burnt due to exposure to chemicals. 

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that a team from the Commission inspected the premises of Som Distilleries and found that it had employed child labour.

“Due to being in contact with chemicals, the skin of many children’s hands has also been burnt. Action is being taken to rescue the children and register an FIR. Notice is being issued to the [State] government to take action against the excise officer,” Mr. Kanoongo wrote on X, sharing pictures from the site. 

“This institute [liquor factory] is run under the supervision of the Excise Department of the Government. The office of the Excise Officer is also located in the same campus,” he said. 

Three Excise Dept. officials suspended

After the matter came to light, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that it was a serious issue and ordered suspension of Kanhaiyalal Atulkar, In-charge District Excise Officer of Som Distilleries Private Limited. 

Three sub-inspectors of the Excise Department were also suspended on Mr. Yadav’s directions. 

“The case of child labour during a raid on a factory in Raisen district has come to my notice. This matter is very serious. In this regard, detailed information has been obtained from the officials of Labor, Excise and Police departments and instructions have been given for appropriate action. Strictest action will be taken against the culprits,” the Chief Minister’s Office said on X.

‘End child trafficking’

A police officer from Raisen said that proceedings to lodge an FIR against the factory’s owners and management are underway. 

The raid was conducted on the basis of a complaint from the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a child rights NGO, during Child Labour Prevention Month, he said. 

BBA director Manish Sharma, who was also part of the team, said, “The stench of alcohol and chemicals was unbearable for us adults. It is unimaginable how the children were working in these conditions for such long hours every day. It is our appeal to the government to take the sternest steps to end child trafficking and child labour, and stop this gravest form of injustice to children.”

“Children with severely burnt and wounded hands from expoure to harsh chemicals and alcohol were transported daily by their employer in a school bus, where they worked for 12-14 hours every day. The children confessed that they were hardly paid any wages,” the BBA said in a statement. 

In a similar raid on Friday, the NCPCR had rescued 36 children, including 25 girls, from three factories in Raisen’s Mandideep town.