{"id":230744,"date":"2020-06-11T14:40:49","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T09:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=230744"},"modified":"2023-10-03T15:49:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T10:19:00","slug":"cal-hc-trafficking-in-garb-of-child-marriage-or-child-labour-are-more-disturbing-due-to-the-family-members-involvement-exodus-of-migrant-labourers-due-to-pandemic-have-exposed-younger-children-to-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/06\/11\/cal-hc-trafficking-in-garb-of-child-marriage-or-child-labour-are-more-disturbing-due-to-the-family-members-involvement-exodus-of-migrant-labourers-due-to-pandemic-have-exposed-younger-children-to-b\/","title":{"rendered":"Cal HC | Trafficking in garb of child marriage or child labour are more disturbing due to the family members involvement; Exodus of migrant labourers due to pandemic have exposed younger children to be trafficked for sustenance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calcutta High Court:\u00a0<\/strong>A Division Bench of Soumen Sen and Harish Tandon, JJ., while addressing a petition stated that,<\/p>\n

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“…physical and mental health of the children are of paramount consideration and no compromise should be made on this score.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Court directed the Principal Secretary, Home Department to be present in view of the alarming rise in child trafficking and child rights abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advocate General for the State, Kishore Dutta apprised the Court with regard to physical and mental health conditions of the children at all the Homes.<\/p>\n

Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare submitted in their report that the ratio of children and councillors (i.e. 50:1) is more or less maintained in all the Homes except few homes where the number of Councillors possibly have not been increased, as the number of children in such Homes had never exceeded the sanctioned strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

Court has also been informed that the Councillors whose service for the time being had remained unutilized due to reduced number of children in various Homes may be deployed in other Homes or rearrangement could be made from the Councillors functioning in a particular district depending upon the necessities and exigencies of the situation.<\/p>\n

Bench called for a report from the Secretary on the following aspect:<\/p>\n

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Government should maintain a list of Councilors in each district on the basis of the sanctioned strength of each Home so that when the sanctioned strength is reached the children do not suffer due to lack of counselling.<\/em><\/p>\n

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all the children be in homes or with their parents during this time require constant monitoring and their safely and security are of paramount consideration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Secretary, Department of Health in his affidavit had disclosed the performance and the good health practice initiated by the said department for the children of the migrant workers.<\/p>\n

Bench explained to Secretary, Health Department, the details that would be required with regard to the institutional quarantine, home quarantine and what exactly would mean with regard to the expression \u201cHigher Referral\u201d and \u201cother specific action taken\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further the concerns that were placed before by the Court were as follows:<\/p>\n