UP to open 73 schools for child labourers

These residential schools would be recognised by the UP Board and will provide education till class XII. They would also provide vocational training from class IX to XII. The schools will also have day-boarding facilities for children living in the nearby villages. The department has already identified the beneficiaries,many of whom were rescued during several drives conducted in cities like Allahabad,Varanasi and Lucknow.

Giving details,the Project director NCLP (Varanasi Zone),Anurag Mishra said,“In the last three years,our department has rescued over 200 child labourers. By just bringing back these children to their homes could not have solved solve the problem,as they would have again started working. We found that the NCLP is one of the best schemes under which we can provide them food and education. So we sent a proposal to the Union Labour ministry,who approved these schools. We will soon be get the funds and plan to start off these schools by July.”

“We have asked the district Labour offices to make a database of the children as to where they belong to and from where they were rescued. We will then put these children in nearby schools,” Mishra said.