The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Incentives under study for panchayats to end child labour

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Incentives under study for panchayats to end child labour

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 12. The Tamil Nadu government is examining a proposal to declare Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Cuddalore districts child labour-free, C.V. Shanmugham, Minister for Labour Welfare, said today.

The government was also considering an incentive scheme for panchayats to become child labour-free. He was participating in an anti-child labour day function organised by the Labour department here.

The government had allotted Rs. 1.25 crores and during 2003-2004 alone set apart Rs. 25 lakhs for chalking out programmes to eradicate child labour in the State by 2007. A high-power State Authority on Eradication of Child Labour headed by the Chief Secretary was constituted to review the measures initiated by District Collectors.

A State Child Labour Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Society was launched to initiate new measures to free child labourers from hazardous industries by 2005.

Nine districts were covered under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) and two districts under the Indo-US partnership initiative (INDUS project).

The government was chalking out special programmes to cover five more districts, to help achieve the objective of eradicating child labour, said Mr. Shanmugham.

Launching the official web site of the new State Child Labour Rehabilitation-cum-Welfare Society, M.B. Pranesh, Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment department, urged women self-help groups, non-governmental organisations, employers and trade unions to supplement the government's efforts in eradicating child labour. He said it had written to the Collectors to create greater awareness among rural masses and help make child labour eradication a mass movement.

Swaran Singh, Special Secretary in the department, wanted greater participation by the people and the media in particular in spreading the importance of eradicating child labour.

Tim Shafter, State Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), who received the first copy of a magazine, brought out with the international agency's financial assistance, appealed to the government to strengthen the convergence of the Education and Labour departments. The UNICEF, he said, would support its endeavours.

Santosh Babu, Additional Labour Commissioner, Chennai, and M. Saikumar, Labour Commissioner, said a roadmap was chalked out to achieve child labour eradication.

R. Thiruvengadam, Chief Inspector of Factories, gave statistical details of the stringent checks carried out in different sectors of employment.

A cultural exposition displaying the latent talents of the children were organised as part of the anti-child labour day.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu