CHANDIGARH: In a bid to completely eradicate the social evil of child labour from the State, the Punjab Government today launched a dedicate campaign which will last till 21 June to nab the offenders who are still engaging the children below 14 years of age in hazardous activities.
Disclosing this in press communiqué Balbir Singh Sidhu Labour Minister said that the department during last 2 years has conducted 25, 066 surprise raids over the industrial units and others such business establishments who were engaging children below 14 years of age in hazardous and non hazardous activities. He said that during these raids 612 child labours were rescued and the offenders were fined for violation of the law. Describing the detail of activities to be conducted during this campaign, the minister said that under child and adolescent labour (prohibition and regulation) Act 1986 the State Government has constituted district level task force. He said that this task force will comprise of the members from labour department and Health Department, Social Security Department, Women and Child Development Department, Education Department and Police Department. He said that this team will jointly conduct surprise checks over the suspicious business units in a particular district. This task force is also mandated to immediately act upon the complaints received from different corners from 12 June to 21 June and to act as per the surveys conducted by NGO’s on child labour.
The Minister further said that the State Government is providing given basic education and skill development training to these rescued children. He said that the department has opened 97 schools for these rescued children in 3 districts under national child labour project. He said that during this campaign sensitization camps would also be organized at district level to educate the masses against the ill effects of child labour.