Child labour thrives despite legislation
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 30, 2013:
Despite enactment of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, which prohibits employment of children below the age of 14 years in any workstations, a number of child labour cases are prevalent in Manipur.
According to report received from State Labour Department, there are 2,836 child labourers in Manipur as per the 2001 census.
Again, according to the survey report conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2009-10, there are around 1237 child labourers in the State.
The report from the Labour Department further stated that under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, no child under the age of 14 years are allowed to work in cement factories, dying firms, cloth making industries, fire work factories, soap factories, construction industries, works related with toxic materials, electronics and electrical equipments making firms, detergent factories, vehicle workshops, insecticide production factories, oil refineries, paper making industries, pottery making places, sawmill, tobacco producing firms,tyre repairing, food processing, beverage industries and timber loading works.
And any individual involved in recruiting children in such firms are liable to be punished under the Act.
Uptil now, Labour Department has rescued 14 children who were found employed in restricted working places and five employers of Imphal West who were employing children have been legally punished, report said.
The report further stated that the Labour Department has taken up the process of surveying child labour in the State.
The Councilors and ward members of Municipality as well as the members of Gram Panchayats have big role to play in identifying cases of child labour in the State.
As such sensitization programmes for the Councilors and Pradhan members are being taken up.
Since a number of children are being employed as child labours in different working places in the State, these children are being deprived of their rights to free and compulsory education guaranteed under the Right to Education Act, the report added.