New Delhi: In a major relief to Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, a senior official of the Bihar Labour Department has given him a clean chit in the alleged incident of children being used as oxen to plough his kin's land.

In his report to Vaishali District Magistrate, Assistant Labour Commissioner of Muzaffarpur Sujit Kumar Rai said that after going through the matter it was found that there was no case of violation of child labour laws, Singh told reporters here.

The incident, which has already been dismissed as "stage managed" by the two boys, was filmed by a channel on the land belonging to Singh's kin, thus dragging the minister's name in the controversy. The boys have said they were "paid Rs 20 each and lured to act as oxen to plough the land".

Singh quoted the parents of the children as saying that the boys were students and did not work for wages.

On Sunday a controversy erupted in Bihar over the alleged incident in Shahpur village of Vaishali district and opposition NDA in Bihar went to the extent ot demanding Singh's resignation.

Following the outcry, an inquiry by a senior official of the state Labour Department was ordered into the incident.

In a word of caution to the media, Singh said the fourth estate should be careful in reporting incidents, otherwise it would lose its credibility. He, however, thanked them for highlighting the problems of agricultural land in the area.

Source : PTI