Surat: The district administration has swung into action following a recent operation in which 86 child labourers were rescued from units in Surat’s textile industry by a joint team of various agencies and the police.

To curb the serious social menace of child labour, the administration has issued an order mandating the display of anti-child labour signboards at all industrial units, factories, GIDC estates, construction sites, and public places across the city and district.

According to the order, all industries and organisations must install boards at clearly visible locations on their premises carrying the message “Child labour is a legal offence.” The signboards must also mention provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the penalties for employing child labour, and the toll-free Child Helpline number 1098 in both Gujarati and Hindi.

The administration also noted that legal restrictions apply to the employment of adolescents in hazardous industries.

Under the law, employers or managers found engaging child labour can face imprisonment ranging from six months to two years and fines between ₹20,000 and ₹1 lakh. DeshGujarat