Expressbuzz, April 30, 2009
BHUBANESWAR: The fight against child labour has remained confined to rhetorics. Scores of cases filed against hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries, where most of these young ones are engaged, have been pending. And in several districts, the State Government has not even been able to collect the penalty which goes towards rehabilitation.
On International Labour Day-eve, when Child Labour Prohibition Day is observed, it’s about time people looked at the issue with seriousness.
A survey conducted by the Liberated Child Movement (LCM) puts it in perspective. Conducted in 20 districts, the independent assessment says no punishment has been handed out in any of these districts.
During the period between 1997-98 and 2008, 74 cases were filed in Sambalpur. No one was punished. In Keonjhar, 46 cases were filed and in 33, the persons accused were acquitted. The rest is pending. Importantly, children have been employed in mining sector but there is little action taken.
The LCM survey says that many districts were not serious about the issue of child labour.
In Jagatsinghpur, just two cases were filed. In Kalahandi, the LCM survey spotted at least 14,000-odd cases but legal action is next to nothing.
A status report of the Labour Department says over 1,000 inspections were made by its officials last year at hotels, restaurants and dhabas during which more than 800 child labourers were detected. While 300 were released, some were sent back to their parents.
This, however, does not address the issue.
The LCM says as per the Supreme Court directives, states have been instructed to collect Rs 20,000 from persons found guilty of engaging child labourers towards rehabilitation.
However, such penalty has been collected in only one case in Jagatsinghpur.
Besides, there is no mechanism to collect funds towards welfare, says Bikash Das, who heads LCM campaign. ‘‘Of the 436 cases, only seven perpetrators have yet been punished,’’ he said.
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