Beaten, forced to work up to 18 hours: Seven children from Bihar escape Jaipur bangle factory
Jaipur: In a harrowing case of child labour, seven children from Bihar, allegedly forced to work in inhumane conditions at a bangle factory in Jaipur, escaped late Monday night and were found hiding in a graveyard by local residents, police said.
The children, visibly distressed and frightened, were found on Tuesday morning in the Bhatta Basti area. Locals alerted the police control room, after which officials from the Bhatta Basti police station and members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) reached the spot to rescue them, as reported by The Indian Express.
The children had reportedly been trafficked from their villages in Bihar two months ago under the false promise of a trip. Instead, they were made to work for 15 to 18 hours a day in exploitative conditions, allegedly receiving just one meal a day and facing physical abuse if they fell ill.
Initially unwilling to speak due to fear, the children later told the police that a man named Samsad Miya had brought them to Jaipur. Police quoted by TIE said that Miya has since been taken into custody and booked under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Police officials mentioned that child labour remains a prevalent issue in Jaipur’s bangle manufacturing sector. Factory owners exploit children for their small, nimble hands suited to intricate glasswork — and for their lower cost, as they can be paid far less than adult workers.
Vivek Sharma, director of Aasra Foundation Jaipur, which offers legal aid to rescued children, revealed that this is not an isolated incident. “Bangle factory owners in Jaipur traffic children from Bihar for a few thousand rupees. Every year, around 4,000 children are brought to the city to work in these factories, but only 20% are rescued,” TIE quoted him as saying.
Sharma described severe abuse faced by many children in captivity. “We have seen cases where children’s feet were cut with blades to prevent them from escaping. Many children had severe spinal injuries due to working for long hours without a break. It is important for the governments of both Rajasthan and Bihar to come up with a solution to this widespread issue,” he added.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
