The Hindu : Comprehensive law to curb child labour being drafted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Comprehensive law to curb child labour being drafted

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE DEC. 17. In keeping with its commitment to eliminate child labour in the State, the Government will soon draft a comprehensive Bill for the purpose and introduce in the Budget session of the Legislature, the Minister for Labour, Qamar-ul-Islam, has said.

The minister told presspersons here today that the Bill would be based on the recommendations of the National Labour Commission, a draft Bill prepared by the Union Government, and labour laws prevailing in others States. A team led by him would tour West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra in January to study the steps taken by the those governments to eradicate child labour in the unorganised sector, Mr. Islam said. The ministers and officials of the Labour, Social Welfare, and Education departments would be consulted while drafting the Bill. The comprehensive legislation would provide social security, food security, and minimum wages to employees in the unorganised sector and put an end to child labour in the State, he said.

Child labourers identified by the Labour Department would be admitted to residential schools run by the Social Welfare Department. After a six-month course, they would be enrolled in regular schools. The department would collect Rs. 20,000 from the firms who had employed the children and the amount would be deposited in the child's name to ensure economic security, he said.

Referring to the Nirmala Jyothi scheme, he said work had already commenced in 22 slums in Gulbarga District at a cost of Rs. 6.5 crore. Houses, roads, and other facilities would be provided in 985 slums in 22 cities at a cost of Rs. 271 crore in the next four years under the scheme, the minister said.

The minister said there were 16 lakh unemployed graduates in the State. At present, the different departments, boards, and corporations followed their own recruitment policy. To recruit candidates through employment exchanges for government, semi-government, and cooperative sector jobs, a Bill would be drafted soon.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, too had expressed support for such a Bill, he added.

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Comprehensive law to curb child labour being drafted