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Join forces with government to eradicate child labour: Minister

CHENNAI: Labour Minister T.M. Anbarasan on Thursday said the government cannot eradicate child labour without support from employers and parents. Addressing a function here as part of the International Day against Child Labour, he said his dream was to make the State child labour free. According to the 2001 census, 4.19 lakh child labourers were identified in the State as against 1.26 crore throughout India. He appreciated the effort taken by Labour department officers for bringing Tamil Nadu among the list of Indian States with the least number of child labourers.

Labour secretary Ramesh Kumar Khanna said the department had combined government welfare schemes with child labour eradication programmes so that not just the child but its family too could receive support.

He said the State government had allocated Rs.50 lakh for eradicating child labour in the current financial year.

Mayor M. Subramaniam said the government was serious about its commitment to ensure education for all children in the 5-14 age group.

Indian Council for Child Welfare vice-president Andal Damodaran appealed to the government to bring in a State Act to widen the scope of legal protection for children and prohibit their employment in “non-hazardous” industries, since the current provision only prohibits employment of children in hazardous industries. She also appealed for provision of hostels for children of migrant labourers to ensure continuity of their schooling. Social Welfare Minister Geetha Jeevan spoke.

With a view to recognising the contribution of field workers in curbing child labour, the labour department gave away awards to five teachers of the INDUS Child Labour Project and eleven teachers of the National Child Labour Project.

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