Date:24/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/24/stories/2008112456410400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Oscar talks of key role for GP members

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Government will involve panchayat and municipal members at the grassroots level to ensure that every child is enrolled in school, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes has said.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of “Bala Mela,” an annual event for underprivileged children here on Sunday, he said that elected representatives would have the mandate to not only bring all children to school but also monitor their progress. Eradication of child labour and universalisation of education will be debated at every gram sabha and convergence between departments will be worked out to achieve total access to education, he added.

Strengthening of schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) to augment income levels of families of child labourers was necessary, so that they do not depend on the income of children, Mr. Fernandes said.

The Right to Education Bill, approved by the Cabinet and yet to be tabled in Parliament, will recognise education as every child’s fundamental right, he said. The Centre was providing midday meal to as many as 14 crore children throughout India, and efforts will be made to extend it to every child in the country, he said. Schools had been opened in 250 districts to provide skill-based training to former child labourers, and the Government will soon open schools in 100 more districts, he added.

Before the start of the event, a delegation of children representing various non-governmental organisations met Mr. Fernandes and spoke to him about their problems, including the donation menace that keeps poor children out of school, non-disbursement of scholarships meant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students and poor quality of midday meals. They submitted a memorandum. They demanded that the cut-off age to determine child labour should be raised from 14 to 18.

An estimated 10,000 children participated in the mela. They were brought to the venue by Echo, Centre for Juvenile Justice, and 60 other NGOs. Kannada film star Shivaraj Kumar was among the guests on the occasion.