Aimed at ensuring abolition of child labour and providing education to children in all States across the country, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has advised the State governments to form steering committees on child labour at their level and monitor the rescue and rehabilitation work of children.
A letter dated October 12, issued by NCPCR member Yogesh Dube, noted: “States are requested to develop an action plan for total abolition of child labour and ensuring that the right to education of every child is protected. The Commission will expect an action taken report on this within 21 working days.”
Stating that there was a need for the State governments to take up some major activities for the welfare of children, the letter said that the States should mobilise district-level task forces to oversee and monitor all actions for identification, pre-rescue planning, rescue operation, interim care, prosecution of employers/ violators under all relevant laws.
“State governments have been instructed to conduct child mapping, formation of welfare funds for rehabilitation of rescued children and campaign for awareness generation among the public on total abolition of child labour. There is also a need for training and orientation programmes on the issues relating to child labour and children’s right to education along with tasks and roles of specific stakeholders,” pointed out Mr. Dube.
The stakeholders have also been instructed to develop an action plan for retention of children in schools and prevention of child labour. “The State government has to devise ways to reach out to the children through creation of transitional educational centres or non-residential bridge course centre. There should be review of the strategies for implementation of Right to Education Act, 2000,” added the letter.
