Children under 14 years of age employed in hazardous or even non-hazardous occupations should be rescued and enrolled in special residential schools that offer education, healthcare, and essential amenities, Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said.
Presiding over a meeting of the district executive and child labour monitoring committee at his office in Shivmogga recently, Hegde said employing or allowing children below 18 years to work is a punishable offence. He instructed officials to launch awareness campaigns about child labour laws and the importance of education, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
In the past year, the district has conducted nearly 2,000 inspections, collected lakhs in fines, and registered several cases under the Child Labour Act, officials said. Five migrant children working as construction labourers were repatriated to Chhattisgarh, while two local children have been admitted to school.
Hegde asked officials to ensure follow-up on children sent back to their home states and track their school enrolment. He also emphasised identifying local dropouts and providing them with basic or skill-based education as needed.
The majority of child labourers found in garages and hotels reportedly belong to Muslim and Banjara communities. The DC suggested that officials engage with community leaders to enlist their cooperation in addressing the issue.
Despite multiple legal and rehabilitation programmes, the department has not met its targets, he said. He ordered that cases be filed against employers violating child labour laws.
The DC instructed officials to help girls access benefits under the PM Maandhan Yojana. In the Hakki-Pikki camp near Shivamogga, at least 13 Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) children lack birth certificates and Aadhaar cards. Hegde directed an immediate survey and Aadhaar enrolment for them.
He also urged awareness about the Centre's e-Shram scheme, under which unorganised workers can register for free and gain access to accident insurance and treatment through the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
District Labour Officer MP Venugopal, Child Labour Project Director Raghunath AS, District Child Welfare Committee Chairman Tajuddin Khan and labour officers from all taluks were present at the meeting.