UNICEF poster face working as child labour

Patna, Nov 22: Eight-year-old Chunchun alias Chuhiya, projected as the face of UNICEF against child labour, works in her father's dhaba, inviting a probe into the matter.

The child continues to work in the dhaba near the JD(U) office, the party which is ruling Bihar and had recently banned child labour.

After getting to know of the matter, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a probe into it and directed Chuhiya's rehabilitation.

''Apart from spending a huge amount on publicity and awareness campaign against child labour, the welfare department should have taken care of child labour,'' he added.

Recently UNICEF had selected Chuhiya to project her as the 'poster girl' in its campaign against child labour and had photographed her. Posters were brought out after enactment of the new legislation banning child labour.The camapign had been launched jointly by the UNICEF and the state government against child labour in the state.

Meanwhile, UNICEF said Chuhiyas photograph was selected for the poster with due permission of her father, Baleshwar Das. A UNICEF representative said Baleshwar had signed the papers.

The matter got a new twist when Mr Das denied signing the papers on the plea of being illiterate. He suspected that his signature might have been forged.

The chief minister, in his directive, also ordered inclusion of this issue in the inquiry.

Chuhiyas photographs were printed by the UN body as posters which were pasted at various places across the state.

Even after passage of a week since the campaign to prevent child labour, Chuhiya continues to work at her fathers dhaba.

UNI