Telangana Resources Centre to launch awareness campaign on child labour

Marking World Labour day on June 12, an awareness campaign regarding employment of Child Labour will be held by the Labour Department.This is part of the Department's plan to eliminate child and adolescent labour in the state by 2020. It also set up the Telangana State Resource Centre (SRC)for Elimination of Child Labour in 2017 with the same objective.

The focus on Tuesday, will be on the rehabilitation of child labour which is currently one of the challenges faced by the department. While those children rescued from being employed as labour are sent to bridge schools for rehabilitation, where they are provided a meal and also a small amount of stipend, it becomes a hassle after a point as there is no home for these children. The SRC is looking for support from NGOs to set up residential rehabilitation centres for these rescued children. On Tuesday, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Andrew McAllister, will be visiting one rehabilitation centre in Chandrayangutta to understand the issues of the children.

"While rescuing children has become a streamlined process over a period of time, with awareness campaigns in residential and commercial areas, finding a home for these children is still a challenge. In the current rehabilitation centres, they function as day scholars. But there are several children who do not have families or a roof to stay and it is hassle," informed Varsha Bhargavi, state coordinator, SRC. The SRC in the past has conducted several awareness campaigns to rescue child labourers where they identified hot spots, like railway stations and bus stations, along with industries which have been traditionally employing children like the brick kiln industry and the bangle making industry and has conducted rescue operations.

As part of these campaigns, they have also educated people about the amendments to child labour laws. Further, it was decided that the rescued children will be sent to KGBVs and other minority welfare schools, but they are over capacitated. This has become a challenge, which they now plan to address.