Representatives of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), the agency running the Integrated Skill Development Scheme under the Union Textile Ministry, have denied that any of the members in the group from Odisha brought here for employment are minors.
Saubhagya Samal, zone placement head and regional head for Uttar Pradesh who is also in charge of Odisha, who is in the city says that as the skill scheme is placement-linked, no one below the age of 18 can be admitted to the training programme as per labour laws. “We have submitted documents in the magistrate court for those termed minors to prove that they are 18 years old and above.”
He claimed that following a communication from Kerala, the Child Welfare Committee in Bhubaneswar had investigated and verified the age of all the 145 people in the group.
The confusion about the ‘minor’ children’s age arose because of their identity and age proof did not match, he said.
“The Aadhaar card is only an identity proof; their school-leaving and matriculation certificates are their age proof. These show that there is no member in the group who is a minor,” he says.
Mr. Samal says this is the first time that they are sending people to work with Kanyakumari Exports in the Kinfra Apparel Park at Kazhakuttam, but IL&FS has been sending people to Kitex Ltd. at Aluva for nearly five years.
He reiterates that the group was sent to Kazhakuttam after due diligence to find out what kind of workmen practices were followed at the company, work conditions, and hostel facilities. “We cannot take any risks as women are part of the team,” he said.
Benudhar Senapati, member of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Odisha, said that after Childline India Foundation in Kolkata asked it to investigate the matter, Childline in Odisha conducted an investigation.
After examining various documents such as memorandum of understanding signed with the company and the school leaving certificates of the 145 people, it found that all of them were above the age of 18. The investigation report has been sent to the Childline counterparts in Kerala, he said.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting will be held in the chambers of the District Judge (in his capacity as chairman of the District Legal Services Authority) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday to decide the fate of the group.
The meeting, to be attended by the District Collector, District Social Justice Officer, Railway Superintendent of Police, Labour Enforcement Officer, and representatives of Kanyakumari Exports, will take a decision on whether the company can receive the members of the group, and if so how to hand them over.
If it cannot, the meeting will look into how the 145 people can be sent back to Odisha.
If any of them are found to be minors, then further proceedings in their case will be handled by the CWC here.
