Imphal, March 15: A state level campaign against child labour was kick-started by Labour Minister Ph Parijat at State guest house here today. Speaking at the opening function of the campaign which would continue till March 29, Deputy Labour Commissioner E Tomba observed that child labourers exist in the State.

A few years back, a survey was conducted across the State under the aegis of the Labour Department.

During the survey, 585 children below 14 years were found engaged as labourers in hotels, workshops and at private homes.

In another survey conducted by the Imphal Municipal Council in 2005, 232 children were found working in different establishments in Imphal Municipal area, said Tomba.

Stating that Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 prohibits engaging children below 14 years in 15 different types of works, Tomba noted that unlike other Indian States, there has been no case of employing children in factories and work places hazardous to health.

In Manipur, children are working in private residences, hotels, restaurants, shops etc.

The basic objectives of the campaign are to create awareness among the people, particularly parents on child labour, rescue child labourers and to educate people on Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, Tomba elaborated.

Addressing the function as chief guest, Ph Parijat observed that the main factor responsible for denying education to children, malnutrition and child labour is poverty.

Children can be rescued from being engaged as labourers only when poverty is alleviated.

In addition to prohibiting children from working under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, it is crucial to rehabilitate those rescued child labourers, asserted Parijat.

Observing that there is no facility in Manipur to rehabilitate a child labourer, he pledged that best efforts will be put in to open a rehabilitation centre for child labourers in the State next year.

Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee Manipur Annie Mangshatabam informed that as in other States of India, Child Welfare Committee has been constituted in Manipur too under the Juvenile Justice Act to protect children from any form of exploitation.

Labour and Employment Commissioner AR Khan also stressed on the need to open a rehabilitation centre for children in the State.

Later, secretary general of the Centre for Legal Advancement Manipur H Dijen and Public Prosecutor Ng Tejkumar addressed the function as resource persons.

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