The National Child Labour Project (NCLP), set up to prevent child labour and enrol children in schools, has rescued about 1,590 child labourers working in different shops and in hazardous conditions in Krishna district in the last five years.
Officials registered cases against the employers under the AP Shops and Establishments Act 1988, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and under the Minimum Wages Act 1948. The authorities imposed penalties worth Rs. 9 lakh and deposited the amount in the accounts of the victims. The teams conducted raids on hotels, cinema halls, restaurants, shops, mechanic sheds, garages, brick kilns, industries, aqua export and packing units and houses across the district and rescued children engaged for work in violation of the Child Labour (P&R) Act. About 500 children are studying in the 10 Special Schools (Training Centres) being run in the district. The schools were being run at Vijayawada, Jaggaiahpet, Pamarru, Gudivada and Mylavaram mandals.
Good response
Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, NCLP Project Director (PD) D. Anjaneya Reddy said the project was started in the district in 2004, and Special Schools — ‘Krishna Bala Karmika Vidyalaya Pathakam’ — were launched .
“In the beginning, 80 schools were opened in different mandals and 4,000 children working as domestic helps in houses and engaged as workers in various establishments and factories were admitted and the response for the training centres is good now,” the PD said.
Explaining the enrolment in schools, Mr. Reddy said NCLP Field Officer K. Prasunanda and staff along with NGOs would visit slums, industrial areas, brick kilns, labour colonies and factories and identify children who were not admitted in schools.
