High level child labourism in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, Aug 11: There are over 100 child labourers in different establisments in Lower Dibang Valley district in Arunachal Pradesh, but parents and employers managed to foil efforts to identify them as such.

"There are more than 100 children working as labourers in the district who couldn't be established as child labourers," according to a report prepared by the district administration after an inspection under the Child Labour (Prohibition).

Inspection under the Minimum Wages Act 1948 and Payment of Wages Act 1936 was also taken up by the inspection team to pinpoint irregularities.

According to the survey conducted under CL(P&R) Act 1986, six were identified as child labourers while 45 others were suspected to be child labourers in 21 establishments during the inspection.

Show cause notices were issued to six employers, who were directed to send the identified child labourers to government schools.

But the inspection programme has been halted after it was revealed that temporary children's shelters, rehabilitation centres and special schools for identified children did not exist in the district.

According to the survey conducted under MW Act, 1948 and PW Act, 1936, out of 21 establishments inspected, 14 were making payments below that prescribed by the state government and did not maintain records or registers of payments. Show cause notices were issued to them as well.

The report said that as per the CL (P&R) Act 1986, no child below 14 years of age shall be employed or permitted to work in any factory or mine or engaged in other hazardous work.

It has also to be seen that all children were given education till the age of 14 years and that they did not enter avocations unsuited to their age because of economic necessity, it added.

PTI