Krishna district sets deadline for rescuing child labourers

Vijayawada, Oct 8: The Krishna district administration has set October ten as deadline for rescuing child labourers by implementing the Child Labour Act in domestic sectors.

The teams constituted by the administration would conduct raids to book employers after the deadline expires, official sources told UNI here.

Cases could not be booked against them even if they engage children in their dhabas, restaurants, lodges, hotels and for household work. But these jobs were now brought under the purview of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, for enabling to prosecute the violators, sources said.

About 1,066 children under the age of 14 were found to be eking out a living as shepherds or cowherds in all the 50 mandals in the district. Many of these children were being made to work by their parents.

Sources said unless officials were really serious, it would not be possible to put an end to the employment of children to graze animals, and added Krishna district stood first in the state and also in the country in eradication of child labour.

Normally, children were being hired by the employers to graze animals because it would cost more to hire an adult.

There were three Acts that could be utilised by officials against those employing children to graze animals.

The employers could be booked under the Minimum Wages Act and the Child Labour Act. In extreme cases, the Bonded Labour Act also could be enforced, the sources added.

The sources said 14 mandals in Krishna district were declared child labour-free by the district administration. All the children in these mandals were enrolled into the schools. A strategy had been worked out to make 50 mandals in the district child labour-free, by next year. In this connection, special drives were launched and the Animal Husbandry Department was assigned to identify these children and enrol them into schools.

A token reward of Rs 58, per child, was announced to the teachers and other officials concerned for readmitting a child who was out of school.

Veterinary Assistant Surgeons (VAS), para-veterinary works, Gopal Mitra Group members, milk collector centre paid secretaries, sheep-rearing cooperative society members and milk coooperative society members would also participate in the drive.

More than 80 National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools were functioning in the district and there was scope to increase the number by 100, the sources said.

The rescued children would be rehabilitated in these schools, the sources added.

UNI