The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Madurai district on the threshold of becoming `child labour-free'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Madurai district on the threshold of becoming `child labour-free'

J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar

Public may inform authorities about prevalence of child labour in post-declaration period Public may inform authorities about prevalence of child labour in post-declaration period

MADURAI: Madurai district is on the threshold of becoming `child labour- free' and the administration has convened a special meeting on June 21at the Collectorate to obtain status quo report from the officials of various departments.

Among other things, the Collector, D. Raajendiran, would obtain reports from the departments concerned on the status of child labour system and the condition of rescued children at the meeting. Based on this, he would initiate steps to declare the district as child labour-free with an appeal to the public to help the administration protect rights of children. The latter should not be coerced into labour but given the right environment for growth and a foundation for future career.

The public could bring to the notice of the administration prevalence of child labour in the post-declaration period and facilitate initiation of stringent action on perpetrators of child labour system, Mr. Raajendiran told The Hindu here.

The Collector has been holding weekly review meetings to monitor the extent of implementation of the district-level action plan to eradicate child labour. He would make the declaration in about a fortnight's time and thereafter submit an elaborate report to the Government on elimination of child labour.

Parents of rescued children are being encouraged to take up income generating activities on their own and provided financial assistance of Rs.10,000 each with funds provided through the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) to purchase milch cows.

The process of putting all children of school-going age back to schools as part of the Education for All programme is on.

One hundred and eight among 197 identified child labourers below 14 years of age have been put in residential schools and they would be shifted to regular schools shortly to continue studies under the Sarva Siksha Abhyan. Only two children were found working in hazardous industries and both were rescued.

The service of gram sabhas was used to find out child labourers in villages and prompt action was taken to curb the system.

Interestingly, women self-help groups were formed with parents of rescued child workers and provided financial assistance to start income generating activities.

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