Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh July 2: A meeting under the chairmanship of Mr. Sukesh Kalia, Chairman, Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights was convened wherein it was recommended that a notice containing the provision of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 that “A child below 14 years of age indulged in arduous and hazardous jobs or labour is considered a crime. The offenders are liable to a fine of Rs. 20,000 and three months imprisonment” be prominently displayed at strategic points of each small or big shop, business establishment, restaurant and factories etc on the lines of Meghalaya model to eradicate the menace of child labour growing at alarming pace in the state.
Agreeing to the recommendation of Child Commission, Labour Department Punjab has directed to all the Assistant Labour Commissioners and Deputy / Assistant Director of Factories of the State to adopt Meghalaya model to eradicate the growing menace of Child Labour in the state.
In a communiqué, the state Labour Commissioner has asked all the district officers to ensure forceful implementation of the recommendation of the Child Commission regarding Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 under which three months imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 20,000 could be imposed to the offenders by displaying the notice.
Mr. Sukesh Kalia, Chairman Punjab State Child Rights Commission said that he and his team had gone to north eastern state to attend State Child Protection Day Programme in the Assam State and noticed that the Meghalaya Government has put up a kind of deterrent to the practice of child labour and also for creating the awareness about the stringent punishment to the erring by putting up the notice containing punishment provisions and contact number for lodging the complaints against the violators on all the business establishments.
Mr. Kalia also suggested the state government to prominently display the notice of the fine to be slapped on the lawbreakers and also imprisonment for three months, in each small or big shop, business establishment, restaurant and factories. In concurrence to his suggestion, the state labour department has issued instructions to the district officers to ensure prominent display of boards everywhere near the possible workplace or where there was a slight inclination of a child being exploited. Mr. Kalia reiterated that this action based on the recommendations of Commission would prove a milestone towards eliminating the menace of Child Labour.
Terming the child labour as the worst kind of exploitation, Mr. Kalia said that it was a sheer violation of Child Rights and a direct attack on the mental, physical, emotional and social life of a child. He called upon all the non government organisations, voluntary organisations and prominent citizens to come forward and join the campaign launched by the Punjab Government to eliminate child labour from Punjab.
