Taluk-level panels to curb child labour

 The government has decided to constitute taluk-level committees for the effective implementation of the action to eradicate child labour in the State. The programme to achieve this objective, which was launched 12 years ago, has not borne the desired fruits.

The taluk-level committees will be in addition to the district-level advisory committees and district-level executive committees to combat child labour. The districts of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region are said to have more incidence of child labour due to poverty, unemployment and lack of proper education.

The tahsildar will be the chairperson of the committee, the labour inspector will be the member secretary and the project director will be the convener.

The members of the committee are child development project officer, block education officer, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan officer, the chief officer of the urban local body, the taluk social welfare officer, the extension officer of the Department of Backward Classes and Minorities, the sericulture extension officer and the police inspector/sub-inspector.

The committee is required to meet as and when required, but should meet at least once a month.

The child labour action plan is being implemented in a time-bound manner in the State. First it was introduced for a period of six years from 2001-02 to 2006-07 and later extended up to 2011-12.

Efforts have been made to eliminate child labour in collaboration with different government departments and civil society organisations. However, a senior labour officer said since child labour was a complex issue, it would be impossible for the labour department alone to eliminate it.

The initiatives taken to eradicate child labour include registration of online complaints, through phone, e-mail and the Childline ‘1098’. A web-based child labour tracking system has been introduced in all districts to keep track of information related to rescued and rehabilitated child labourers.

A bi-monthly e-journal ‘Balavani’ is also being published with an objective to share efforts to eliminate child labour.