Haryana to take steps to rehabilitate child labourers

Chandigarh, Oct 10 (UNI) The Haryana Government has directed all District Magistrates in the state to formulate action plans for identification and rehabilitation of child labour.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Haryana Labour and Employment Department said that the District Magistrates had already taken steps to sensitise people in this regard.

He said the Central Government intended to prohibit the employment of child labourers as domestic servants on dhaba or road side eateries, restaurants, hotels, motels, tea-shops, resorts or other recreational centres by adding the same in part A of the Schedule appended to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. Following the notification of this Act, which has become effective from today, employment of children below the age of 14 years would be illegal and anybody found employing childern would be liable to be proceeded against under the Act.

Violators of this Act would be punishable with imprisonment for a term which would not be less than three months and might extend to one year or with fine which would not be less than Rs 10,000 and might go up to Rs 20,000 or with both.

He said that all ministers and legislators had been urged by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to extend their co-operation for the total elimination of employment of child labour, especially domestic child labour. The Chief Secretary would also be writing to all heads of departments to advise civil servants to sensitise all officials and officers working under them to ensure that nobody employed children as domestic servants.

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