Enforcement of Anti child-labour legislation effective in TN

Chennai, Jun 12 (UNI) Tamil Nadu has registered a steady decline in child labour over the years due to strict enforcement of anti-child labour legislations, a senior official said today.

Addressing a seminar here to coincide with the 'World Anti-Child Labour Day,' State Labour Commissioner V Varaprasada Rao said the number of child workers in the state has come down to 25,679 in 2005 from 70,344 in 2003.

He said district-level committees had been formed under the chairmanship of District Collectors to intensify inspections in hazardous establishments and prosecute employers who engaged child labour.

State Labour and Employment Department Secretary Ramesh Kumar Khanna said two projects were being implemented in the state to rehabilitate child workers.

Under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), which was being implemented in Tuticorin, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Erode, Krishnagiri, Chennai, Dindigul and Theni district, special schools were run for children liberated from child labour.

Children were provided with formal/non-formal education along with vocational training, a stipend of Rs 100 per month, supplementary nutrition and regular health care so as to prepare them to join the regular mainstream schools. Presently, 17472 children were studying in 454 special schools, Mr Khanna said.

Another project, Indus Child Labour Project, was a joint venture of Indian and US Governments to eradicate child labour and was being implemented in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar and Tiruvannamalai districts.

Apart from providing education to children liberated from child labour, the project also provided funds for vocational training to children in the age group of 14 to 17 years.

It also provided for viable income generating alternatives to families of liberated children, strenthening of public education of child labour, monitoring and tracking, social mobilisation and capacity building, he added.

UNI AKN VV MP BD1835