The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Districts asked to step up drive against child labour

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Districts asked to step up drive against child labour

Staff Reporter

Part of 15-point agenda of Government

CHENNAI: : All districts have been asked to step up the drive to eradicate child labour by 2007, Labour Minister P. Annavi has said.

"Employment of children in hazardous occupations will be eliminated this year, and by 2007, the practice will be eradicated in non-hazardous occupations. Eradication of child labour forms part of the 15-point agenda adopted by the State Government," he said at the meet on eradication of child labour, organised by the Labour Department here on Sunday, on the occasion of the Anti-Child Labour Day.

The Coimbatore Collector would receive the award for 2003 for steps taken to eliminate child labour. In 2004, cases were filed against 2,260 organisations for employing children.

In May 2005 alone, 952 cases were filed. Surveys conducted by district-level squads in 2004 showed up 745 child-labourers, and moves were afoot to rehabilitate them.

Till now, 601 cases were filed, he said. The National Child Labour Project was being operated in 12 districts, and the Indus Child Labour Project was being successfully implemented in five districts.

"Domestic labour too should be brought under hazardous occupation. Adult offenders should be punished under relevant act. Not just civil society, even police personnel have to be sensitised to child labour," Andal Damodaran, honorary secretary, Indian Council for Child Welfare, said.

N. Govindan, Labour Secretary, M. Saikumar, State Labour Commissioner and UNICEF representatives were present.

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