Ghaziabad official gets clean chit in child labour case

GHAZIABAD: The official accused of employing children to clean up the banks of the Hindon river last month has got a clean chit from the district administration in Ghaziabad.
An inquiry report by the administration found "no evidence" of wrongdoing against civil defence chief warden Dharampal Garg, who was photographed overseeing the clean-up operation involving children on October 12.The civil defence had undertaken a two-hour clean-up operation of the Hindon floodplains on October 12 during which kids living in shanties nearby were allegedly employed for manual labour in exchange of cash.
A probe conducted by inspector-general (IG), civil defence, Amitabh Thakur had indicted Garg. Following that report, an investigation was commissioned by the administration, by additional district magistrate (city) Rakshpal Singh. This report, submitted to the district administration on Friday evening, has absolved Garg.
"Prima facie, there is no evidence against the chief warden," Singh said. "There are a number of inconsistencies between the version of events narrated to us by the kids and the version they had reportedly narrated to the IG. While the IG's enquiry revealed five kids had been employed as child labourers, our inquiry found nine kids were involved in the incident. The kids told us they had been working on the floodplains since 7am, much before the defence staff reached the spot."
Singh said the probe indicated a civil defence volunteer, not Singh, had made the cash payments to the children. "There are also inconsistent versions as to whether the kids were paid Rs 200 along with snacks or a sum of Rs 500. Our inquiry has revealed that the chief warden did not pay the money directly to the kids. The name of a volunteer of the civil defence has cropped up as the person who made the payments," the ADM (city) said.
Asked about the fresh report, Garg said justice had been done as it had "brought out facts very clearly". "The entire incident of October 12 was pre-planned. It was a conspiracy to frame me by those who want to become the chief warden of Ghaziabad and those whom I have not entertained for donations. I have maintained from the beginning that there was no engagement of child labour."
Thakur's probe, conducted on October 14, had concluded that kids living in nearby shanties had been engaged for manual labour at the Hindo banks in exchange of cash. The report had also mentioned that all the kids were below 14. Thakur said he had met five kids who were allegedly lured by civil defence staff in exchange of Rs 200 each. "The kids did not go to school and were engaged in scavenging and rag-picking work in the area. The chief warden had himself handed them the money," Thakur wrote in his report. Thereafter, he had recommended that Garg be removed and legal proceedings be initiated against him.
On Sunday, Thakur said he stood by his probe. "We will call for an official copy of the inquiry report that has been prepared by the district administration. After perusing the report, the department will issue appropriate directions to the district magistrate of Ghaziabad," he said.