‘Employing children will attract fine, jail term’

Mysuru Karnataka: 12 06 2015: Just another day....This child is busy picking up plastic bottles on the busy D Devaraj Urs Road in Mysuru as the city on Friday observed the International Day against Child Labour. PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM
( TO GO AS PHOTOFUATURE)

A day-long programme and staging of a street play marked the World Day against Child Labour here on Friday.

The Department of Labour, Mysuru District Legal Services Authority, Mysuru District Balakarmika Yojana Society and several NGOs jointly organised the programme.

Speaking after inaugurating the event, Principal District and Sessions Judge K.S. Mudgal underlined the need to put an end to the practice of child labour.

The District Balakarmika Yojana Society said in the pamplets distributed among the public that children below the age of 14 should not employ children, instead educate them so that they become responsible citizens.

Employing children is an offence and attracts punishment. The society said the person employing a child below the age of 14 can be fined anywhere between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000 and can be awarded a jail term of up to one year.

On the occasion, a group of artistes staged a street play on the premises of Institution of Engineers to spread the message that child labour should be abolished.

Senior Judge and Mysuru District Legal Services Authority Secretary Dinesh Hegde, Police Commissioner B. Dayanand, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer P.G. Gopal, Assistant Labour Commissioner Meena Patil, and Deputy Director of Public Instruction H.R. Basappa were among those present.