The Newsline team accompanied the surveyors in their search for child labours in different sectors of the city and found that they were in plenty and in every nook and corner of the city.

They were spotted everywhere from PGI, to the shops near Student Centre in Punjab University, to even the High Court and in places like Sukhna Lake.

On seeing the surveyors, most of these children ran away. Ravi, a 14-year-old from Kansal village was seen working at the Mona Canteen in PU. When the team approached towards him he looked visibly shaken and did not respond to queries regarding his parents and hours of work he had to toil in the canteen.

Bindu, a 12-year-old was found working outside the High Court in a makeshift tea stall. When asked if he would like to go to school he nodded in affirmation without uttering a single word. Her employer, however, was not found anywhere in the vicinity, as he had given a slip at the sight of the approaching department officials.

A visit to the High Court canteen was even shocking, as quite a few children were engaged there in serving tea and eatables and some were found washing dishes. Few of them could muster some courage to speak to the officials and the Newsline team. Most of these children hailed from Kansal village.

A visit to Sukhna Lake was no different. Ramcharan, a boy of 10 years was found selling groundnuts near the lake. “We have to work from 7 or 8 in the morning till night all through the year for a meagre amount,” the boy said. Deep Chand, 12, was seen collecting money outside the washroom of the lake. He had no notion of what school life was like and kept quiet when asked about it.

It was the same story at Sector-7 where teenagers were found working at a dairy shop and a fish centre.

Director of Public Instructions (School) SK Sethia expressed optimism that by March this year the identification of all child labours in Chandigarh will be completed along with their details like names and addresses.

“This survey will continue in full swing till we have covered the entire city,” Sethia told Newsline over phone.

On being asked as to what alternative source of income these children would be provided since many of them are also the bread winners of their families, Sethia said, “We will provide them with one time meal, clothing, school uniform and also Rs. 250 per month. Moreover, those without family and shelter will be provided accommodation on the first floor of Government Model Secondary School in Sector-28.”

While the officials admitted that it is difficult to trace these children and convince them to join schools, they said that it has to be continued for their welfare.

“We want to bring these underprivileged children to the mainstream by educating them under the Sarvashikshya Abhiyan,” said Rajpal Singh, PRO Education department who was one of the officials in the survey team.

These drives are often launched with the optimism that they will be sustained in the future. But more often these do not last long.