Karnataka - Mangalore   

Say no to child labour, people told

Staff Correspondent

World Day Against Child Labour observed

WELL DONE: Deputy Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao presenting books to Manoj, a rehabilitated child worker who passed in sixth standard with `A' grade, at a function held to mark World Day Against Child Labour in Mangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: R. Eswarraj

MANGALORE: On World Day Against Child Labour, Deputy Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao urged citizens to take a pledge that they would not employ children as domestic workers.

Appointing children for domestic work is a punishable offence.

But, even now, children are employed in many households, mainly because of ignorance, he said.

Mr. Rao urged schoolchildren to play an active role in identifying domestic child labourers in their neighbourhoods.

Child census conducted by Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan had identified 734 dropouts in the district, but most of them had dropped out because of reasons other than work, he said.

Poverty was the root cause of child labour, as many children were sent to work to supplement the income of their families. But awareness about the importance of education had increased, and many parents, especially in the coastal belt, sent their children to school willingly, Mr. Rao said.

The local-level committees at the gram panchayat must be activated to eradicate child labour, he said.

Manoj, a rehabilitated child worker, was presented an award for clearing his sixth standard exam with `A' grade.

Jacintha D'Souza, Principal of Roshni Nilaya School of Social Work and Mallikarjuna. T, Assistant Labour Commissioner, were present.

Deadline

Udupi Staff Correspondent writes:

Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj said on Tuesday that every possible effort would be made to eradicate child labour from Udupi district by next year.

He was speaking at a function organised by the district administration on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour here.

Mr. Ponnuraj said that most of the children were employed in stone quarrying sites and hotels in the district. Migrant labourers allowed their children to work in these places. The child labourers did not enjoy even basic facilities in these places, he said.

Labour Officer H. Gopal Gouda welcomed the gathering. Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao, Commissioner of Udupi municipality Gokuldas Nayak and professor at Vaikunta Baliga College of Law K. Arvind Bhat were present.

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

Stories in this Section

Say no to child labour, people told
BSNL to provide rental rebate for consumers
Tulu draft textbook ready, approval expected today
APMC to take action against traders
Killed in accident
In Mangalore Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu