Bengaluru police rescued 19 minors, including one girl, from shops and loading-unloading points at Yeshwantpur APMC market on Tuesday, within hours of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s visit. The CM spotted child labourers during a surprise visit around 6am and directed officials to act against those employing them and those sending them to work. Police formed five special teams led by DCP (North) Babasab Nemagoud and searched the market, arresting four shopowners. City police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said cases were registered against Shahid Majid, 60, B Prakash, 39, Amir S, 33, and Mohammed Saif, 27, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.

The CM also ordered the dismissal of a cooperative society secretary after learning that the crop insurance claims of 93 farmers in Devara Hipparagi taluk had been rejected, allegedly due to unpaid premiums with DCC Bank. A farmer told the CM that the farmers had paid the premiums to the society but later received messages saying their claims had been rejected. After checking the list of farmers who had made payments, the CM directed officials to act against the secretary.

Farmers reported issues with police harassment, delayed payments, commissions, cultivation costs, and weighing practices. They noted that markets in Kalaburagi, Bidar, and Vijayapura charged commissions of Rs 8 to Rs 10, while no commission was collected at Yeshwantpur, making it preferable for farmers. They also mentioned that deficient rainfall had reduced onion yields from the usual 150 to 200 bags an acre to around 50 bags this year. Excessive rain could cause the crop to rot, while low prices could make it difficult to recover transportation costs.

The CM warned traders against collecting excess charges and directed officials to prevent manipulation of weighing scales. He also asked farmers to report violations. Anjunappa, an onion farmer from Hosahatti village in Kudligi, told the CM that he had built a house on his farmland but had not received power connection despite applying for one. Several other households faced a similar problem, he said.

The CM directed officials to collect details and provide connections to the affected households. He also asked farmers to raise such grievances during the govt’s Prajaseva programmes. According to The Hindu, 19 child labourers, including children from Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, were rescued following the CM’s visit.

Four cases were registered against shop owners under the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act. Five cases were registered under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. Separately, 10 children found working on the roadside were also rescued and produced before the Child Welfare Committee, Bengaluru, for further necessary action.