She didn’t visit her parents at Bagepalli (AP) nor did they visit her during these years. The Department of Labour in collaboration with Domestic Child Labour  Elimination Project rescued Shivamma on Friday.
Seven children who were employed as domestic help have been rescued in the last three days, including two girls on Monday. 

The two from Mattikere and  Doddanakundi in Bangalore  were rescued, with the help of police authorities and they were taken to Baale-Paraspara Trust Shelter and the Juvenile Girls’ Home respectively. They  will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Tuesday.

Most of these girls, including eight-year-old Sonam from Bihar, stayed in their employers’ house  and some of them were not paid for their work.

Project Co-odinator, Domestic Child Labour Elimination Project, Suchitra Rao, said the employers can be punished under various Acts -The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2000.

Under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, child labour includes domestic labour where the employment of children is a punishable offence with two years imprisonment and fine of Rs 20,000.

The Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, in April 2004 issued the Minimum Wage notification that specifies the minimum wages for adult domestic worker with a clause prohibiting employment of children.

“So far 300 cases have been referred to the CWC from August 2004 and Rs 20 lakhs have been mobilised as relief for children from the employers. The  Karnataka High Court also has given judgements in favour of children.” she said.

Mary, a social worker with Paraspara Trust said, the children will be sent back home on condition that they will be enrolled in schools.