'Child labour to be dealt with sternly'

Gulbarga, Oct 6 (UNI) The district administration is taking steps to book cases against those who employ children below the age of 14 following a Government Order in this regard.

Addressing a press conference here today, Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey explained that child labour in restaurants, dabhas, hotels, resorts and houses were till recently classified as 'non-hazardous'. However, with the Centre bringing these categories too under 'hazardous' sector, children below 14 years have been barred from working in such places. The main objective of the new rule was to ensure that all children between six and 14 years go to school, he added.

He said the district administration had rescued 5,000 child labourers and admitted them to various schools during the last four-and-a-half years.

Mr Pandey said the administration had chalked out a three-month action plan to sensitise the public against child labour, with a special focus on families employing children. He had directed all Government officials in the district not to employ children below 14 years.

Informing that awareness programmes would be undertaken to educate the people against the ills of child marriage, he said socio-economic issues should be addressed, especially in rural areas, to contain the social evil.

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