Belgaum: On the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour that will be observed on June 12, the district administration and District Child Labour Project Society (DCLPS) will be jointly organising a "Sports & Cultural Festival-2007" for children studying in special schools on June 11 and 12.

Support

The event will be supported by the departments of Labour and Women and Child Development, the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), the Nehru Youth Centre and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the district.

DCLPS Project Director Kiran Chougala said that of the 1,340 children studying in 26 special schools in the district, more than 300 would participate in the festival, which will be held at Kumar Gandharva Rang Mandir in the city. Several industrial establishments and NGOs had contributed altogether Rs. 75,000 for the event.

Project

He said that the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) was being implemented in the district since the last year. Under the project, the Union Government was providing Rs. 2,49,400 annually to each of the 26 special schools in the district. In addition to food and learning material, the children were each getting a monthly stipend of Rs. 100, which was being deposited in the joint accounts opened in the names of the child and his or her parent. The amount would go towards the child's future educational requirements.

Efforts

Mr. Chougala said that efforts made to identify the victims of child labour in different sectors as well as at the domestic-level had met with 70 to 80 per cent success. However, a more intensive survey had to be taken up to trace cases of violation of The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986.

According to the Act, its violation would attract a penalty of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 and imprisonment of three years. In Belgaum, action had been taken in four cases. However, the Labour Department had to be more vigilant to check child labour in different forms, particularly at the domestic-level, Mr. Chougala said.

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