SELF-EMPLOYED: Twelve-year-old Umer Shukur Mulla sells homemade puja articles in front of Samadevi Mandir in Belgaum.

BELGAUM: The implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in Belgaum came under scrutiny at the inauguration of a special school for rescued child labourers here on Sunday.

The school is being run by the district administration; the Child Labour Rehabilitation and Welfare Centre, Belgaum; and Spandana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO). Suresh C. Anagdi, MP, inaugurated the school located in Janata Colony of Vantamuri, a slum in the city. According to NCLP district coordinator Kiran M. Chougala, the Centre included Belgaum district under the NCLP last year. Subsequently, a survey was conducted and 1,316 child labourers were identified.

This included those engaged in beggary, rag-picking and street children.

The Centre also approved 26 special schools and several NGOs were identified to run them.

The Government is also providing a stipend of Rs. 100 for a child a month for one year and the amount is being deposited in the name of the child in a bank.

So far, 12 schools had been opened in the district and the remaining 14 schools would be ready for inauguration by next week. Each school had a vocational teacher, two educational teachers and one clerk-cum-attendant, Mr. Chougala said.

The Centre has been funding these special schools for rescued children. The facilities extended to the children admitted in these schools include skill/craft training, healthcare and recreation for a year. Subsequently, the children will be admitted to regular schools.

Government school

However, it was revealed that 50 children "admitted" to the special school opened in Vantamuri were already going to a government school in Mahanteshnagar. This stunned even Mr. Chougala. An official then said that child labourers would be brought from other slums and admitted to the school. He said surprise checks would be carried out to ensure that these special schools admitted only rescued child labourers.

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