| Rescued for rehabilitation, children waiting for special school for 5 years | | Union Ministry of Labour, Employment sits on file | | Avinash Azad
Jammu, Aug 8 : Homeless and destitute, children who were rescued working as bounded labour, are waiting for special school as the Union Ministry for Labour and Employment has not cared to respond to the proposal sent by the J&K government for five years.
In Jammu district alone, around 1036 child labourers were indentified for rehabilitation under centrally sponsored, National Child Labour Project (NCLP), after conducting survey Labour and Employment department Jammu through Deputy Commissioner Jammu had sent its proposal to union government seeking requisite funds for creating infrastructure, but after lapse of five years, no reply came from the union government.
"Future of these children who were rescued by Labour and Employment Department from work places, where these children were working in hazardous conditions, and were supposed to get education under NCLP, has been lost in oblivion", said an official Labour and Employment department seeking anonymity.
He further said that the NCPL was initiated in 2009 by Union Ministry of Labour and Employment.
"For setting up special schools (Rehabilitation Centers) for child labourers, funds were to be provided by Union Government, but samewere not released till date, nor any communication has not been made by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment", he maintained, adding that the survey was conducted by the District Evaluation and Statistics centre Jammu. Under the project primary education was to be provided with an aim to eradicate child labour in hazardous industries, he added.
"Following Supreme Court ruling district administration identified labourers in Jammu district, but in the absence of rehabilitation of the child labourer, the ruling is being violated with impunity", he rued.
As per guidelines sets for rehabilitation, the rescued child labour in the age group of 5 to 8 have to be admitted in government schools and 9 to 14years in special school of NCPL, where they have to get three years primary education and then the rescued children were to be sent in general schools for further education.
Under NCLP, six special schools are functioning in Udhampur and Srinagar cities. Under Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Act 1986, three districts of state were identified and 10 rehabilitation schools were to be opened in phase manner.
In the Rehabilitation Centres, non-formal, formal education, skilled, craft training and supplementary nutrition to each valuing Rs 5 per day was to be given. A stipend of Rs 100 to each child on monthly basis and Health care facilities was also to be provided. |
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