The State Government has decided to initiate stringent action against those employing child labour in different works/occupations and outlined steps envisaging continuity of their education.
The State Government has come out with a comprehensive set of rules for protecting the interests of children and ensuring that their education is not disturbed. According to new rules, if a child receiving education in a school remains continuously absent for 30 days without intimation to the principal or head master of the school, the latter should report the matter to the nodal officer concerned who would be designated by the district magistrate.
Children would not perform any tasks during school hours and between 7 p.m and 8 a.m the next day. They should not be engaged in such tasks that would hinder/interfere with the right to education of the child or his/her attendance in the school. They should also be not engaged in activities they could adversely affect education including activities that were inseparably associated to complete education like home work or any extra-curricular activity assigned by the school.
The Government has issued the Telangana Child Labour (prohibition and regulation) (amendment) Rules 2021 that would come into force on the date of their publication in the gazette. According to the new rules, children should not be engaged in any task continuously without rest that could make him/her tired and should be allowed to take rest to refresh health and mind.
Accordingly, the child should not help for more than three hours excluding the period of rest in the day. Steps should also be taken to ensure that there was substitution of child for an adult or adolescent while helping family or family enterprise. The new rules envisaged constitution of a task force with district magistrate as chairperson and it should consist of, inspector of police, superintendent of police, additional district magistrate, assistant labour commissioner, two representatives each from voluntary organisations involved in rescue and rehabilitation of employed children on a ratotation basis, representative of the district legal services authority, member of the district anti-trafficking unit, chairperson of the child welfare committee and district child protection officer as also the district education officer.
The task force should meet at least once every month and should make comprehensive action plan for conducting rescue operation taking into account the time available, point of raid in accordance with the law, confidentiality of the plan, protection of victims and witnesses. The task force should also upload the minutes of its meeting on the portal that would be created by the government.
