To take load off children,state to ‘brick’ schools for child labourers

The state government has set up a Special Task Force to eradicate child labour in every district. The Force includes superintendent of police,chief executive officer of Zilla Parishad,district women and child welfare officer,district education officer (primary) of the zilla parishad,district health officer of the Zilla Parishad,chief officer of the municipal council and government labour officer. The team will conduct surprise raids to check child labour in the state.

“The aim of the task force is to identify,rescue and rehabilitate child labourers. Several children (below the age of 14) work in hotels,brick kilns,sugar factories,beedi factories,stone quarries and several other small industrial units. The Task Force with the staff and support of NGOs will crack down down on these units and rescue the children,’’ said Additional Labour Commissioner TG Cholke,member of the Task Force. The team meets once a month and conducts raids intermittantly. He said the raids conducted with the help of police department and women and child welfare department have been successful in bringing down child labour in the district,he added.

As per the Labour Department statistics,in the last one year (till April this year)58 cases of child labour were registered at various police stations. The department conducted raids on 1,015 establishments from January 2010 to April 2011 and rescued 18 children in the drives. “Most of them are migrants. With help of the police,we try and send these children to their hometowns,’’ said Cholke. The Labour Department said they have checked 1,300 establishments to check for child labour. “We are also trying to organise regular awareness programmes to highlight the issue and those found violating are prosecuted under the anti-Child Labour Act,’’ he added.

Anuradha Sahasrabuddhe from Childline,who has been working to rescue child labourers,said there is a rise in number of child labourers rise in the district.

“Child labour is seen in dhabas,chowpattis where children are working for long hours. We are also seeing a rise in child trafficking and some kind of bondage which sees children pushed into child labour. Child labour exists in plant nurseries,chowks,hotel industry and at homes. Though drives are being carried out,a lot needs to be done,” said Sahasrabuddhe. The anti-child labour helpline number is 02025541613.