Concerned over the increasing cases of child labour, a one-day orientation cum training programme was organised by an NGO along with labour commissioner of Kashmir and members of juvenile justice board to bring awareness about child labour among placement agencies in the Kashmir Valley.
The programme has been organised as children are found to be working at different places including factories, industrial units and residential houses as home servants aimed to earn their livelihood.
Keeping in view the increasing cases of child labour, the training programme was organised by Childline, Hope Foundation where experts gave different presentations on child labour.
Hakeem Javaid, the organiser of the workshop said that this programme has been initiated for the first time wherein placement agencies are also been kept in the loop.
"This programme has been initiated for the first time where placement agencies have been kept in the loop. The purpose of this workshop was to inform the placement agencies that when they provide services, do they provide by keeping the law in mind or not. We want to inform the placement agencies that if service needs to be provided, how should they provide to them," Javaid told ANI.
Khair-un-Nissa, a member of the Member of Juvenile Justice Board said that people who have attended the workshop that people do not know that a kid up to 14 years old cannot do hazardous and non-hazardous labour.
"You cannot allow kids up to the age of 14 to indulge in hazardous or non-hazardous labour. People are not aware that children from the age of 14 to 18 can be employed only in non-hazardous labour. I want to make people aware from a law point of view as to what labour children can and cannot do," Nissa said.
Rifat Ramzan, a law student said such workshops need to be conducted more often in the Valley. "Such seminars need to take place more in the Kashmir to make people aware that child and bonded labour is completely prohibited," the law student said.
"I feel that the organisations such as NGOs work better than the administration or implementing authorities because nobody is looking after the implementation of these laws," Ramzan further added.
The orientation cum training programme was attended by a number of personalities including labour commissioner of Kashmir, members of juvenile justice board, owners of placement agencies and some students as well.
