Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge launches national drive on child labour in Orissa

Orissadiary.com, July 31, 2010

Bhubaneswar: Union Minister for Labour Mallikarjun Kharge launched the national drive on child labour programme here on Saturday in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Patnaik expressed the hope that the pilot projects would be scaled up in near future keeping in view the large number of child labourers.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has extended support for the project, which aims at demonstrating a sustainable and replicable model for elimination of child labour. The pilot project would cover 10 districts in five States, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Union Secretary of Labour Prabhat C Chaturvedi also graced the occasion along with Head of Operations and Social Dialogue, IPEC, ILO, Simon Steyne. Odisha’s Minister of Labour and Employment Pushpendra Singh Deo was also present.
The State’s Secretary of Labour & Employment Sudarshan Pal Thakur gave out details of the pilot project, which would be implemented in Cuttack and Kalahandi districts. Over 48,000 children would benefit directly and indirectly by the project, he said, adding that the project would enhance the State-level capacities to coordinate action against child labour and strengthen an enabling environment for prevention and elimination of child labour.