“More than 90,000 students, who studied in the special training centres set up as part of the National Child Labour Project, have been enrolled in mainstream schools,” said P. Mohan, Minister for Rural Industries and Labour, while addressing a programme on World Day Against Child Labour.
He said that various schemes implemented by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa would soon make Tamil Nadu a child labour-free state. “In 2003, a State-level action plan was formulated to abolish child labour and is being implemented,” he said.
Later in the day, the Chennai District Child Protection Unit along with the Assistant Commissioner, Flower Bazaar Police Station and Community Health Education Society distributed pamphlets and stickers to shops and the public in the vicinity. An official said that shops were asked to paste stickers declaring that they were child labour-free. “We are planning to extend the programme to busy market areas such as Burma Bazaar and T.Nagar as well,” she said.
Distribution of incentives to 30 child labourers-turned- students and pamphlets highlighting the evils of child labour marked the Anti-Child Labour Day events in Kancheepuram.
Collector, K. Baskaran distributed cheques for Rs. 6,000 to the children who are now pursuing higher education. Earlier, District Revenue Officer, M. Sambathkumar flagged off a cycle rally organised jointly by the District Social Welfare Department and Hand-in-Hand, an NGO, to create awareness about the psychological and physical impact of sexual harassment on girl children.
