Working with the mandate of eradicating child labour and mainstreaming special children, the Child Labour Elimination and Effective Rehabilitation Society (CHEERS) has opened up three more special training centres in the district to rehabilitate rescued child labourers by imparting education and vocational activity to them.
Started under the National Child Labour Project, the new special centres are functioning at Manachanallur, Samayapuram, and Mullal accommodating 75 rescued minors below the age of 14.
The opening of new centres were warranted after administration officials and those involved in the elimination of child labour found many children being engaged for various kinds of works besides being indulged in beggary at these places.
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Manachanallur was chosen for opening up a new centre as a group of migrant people from Andhra Pradesh were found engaging their children in various works.
In respect of Samayapuram, it was found that some minors were used for begging while at Mullal village children were found engaged in farm-related and domestic works, said a CHEERS official. Each of the new centres accommodates 25 children with education and vocational instructors deputed to train the minors.
Apart from supplying textbooks and uniforms free of cost to the rescued minors, vocational material had been provided to kindle interest among children and train them in non-academic activity as a rehabilitation measure. The district where many child labourers were rescued over the years at different places accounts for 29 special training centres with the opening of three additional centres.
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In all, 831 minors were enrolled in the special training centres located at places, including Kollidam Tollgate, Arangoor, Manamedu, Puthanatham, Perumalmalai Adivaram, Narikuravar colony, Sirugambur, Musiri, Srirangam, Manapparai, and Vaiyampatti.
In several instances, it was found that children were employed in shops, two-wheeler mechanic shops, agriculture, waste paper collection, selling of beads and quarry, say officials. The official said a host of factors had contributed for the continuance of this social evil.