The Hindu : Cash rewards for NGOs eliminating child labour

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 23, 2003

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Cash rewards for NGOs eliminating child labour

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 22. The Union Labour Minister, Sahib Singh Verma, today announced cash rewards for the districts and non-government organisations excelling in the field of elimination of child labour.

Announcing this at a National Conference on `'Elimination of Child Labour'' here today, Mr. Verma said the rewards would be Rs. one lakh for the best NGO, Rs 51,000 and Rs 25,000 for the second and the third best organisation. Districts showing results in the implementation of the National Child Labour Project, meant for bringing the child labour in the national mainstream, would also be rewarded.Suggesting a social audit of the progress made in uplifting the status of the underprivileged children, Mr. Verma said the Government alone could not handle a social problem of this magnitude. The elimination of child labour by 2007 could be achieved if all sections of society got together. The first target should be to provide fundamental education to all children up to the age of 14 years by 2003. The Government had decided to cover 150 districts under the National Child Labour Projects for the purpose, against the present 100. Inaugurating the conference, the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson, Najma Heptulla, suggested legislation to protect the rights of the child. Education alone would not serve the purpose because it would kill the traditional handicrafts of the country. ''

Hence, it is necessary that these children should be imparted vocational training of their traditional crafts along with education,'' she said.

The 100-odd National Child Labour Projects have been set up as a sequel to the National Policy on Child Labour in the labour endemic districts of 13 States under which children are withdrawn from hazardous work and rehabilitated through special bridging schools with provision for formal and non-formal education and vocational training. Over 1.7 lakh children have been mainstreamed through 4,002 special schools.

The budgetary allocation for the purpose has been increased to Rs 602 crores for the Tenth Plan against Rs. 249.5 crores during the Ninth Plan.

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