SHILLONG, JUN 12: Meghalaya labour minister Ampareen Lyngdoh assured that the state government will not allow a child to be seen working in anyone’s home. The assurance came during the International Day against Child Labour on Wednesday.
Lyngdoh said, “If a child needs education, he should not labour for education,” on the theme-“Ensure Entitlement to Children – Say no to Domestic Child Labour.”
Organized by the Meghalaya Labour Commissioner office in collaboration with Childline, the programme aimed at sensitizing headmen and traditional institutions besides NGOs on the Child Labour Act.
During the session, topics which were discussed touched were on Child Labour (Probibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, CWCs role in rescue of children engaged in labour, rehabilitation centre-facilities and programmes and role of police in rescue and rehabilitation.
After each session, an interaction was held where the participants stressed on the need to have awareness programmes at the grassroot level so that people can understand the laws related and penalities whereby the dorbar shnongs also promised to extend its cooperation if such programmes are held.
In her concluding remark, Lyngdoh said that the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for abolishment of child labour and the state of Meghalaya also will respond to this call.
Lamenting on the fact that child labour is rampant in the state in areas of mining, domestic help, workshops, Lyngdoh said that actions are needed to eliminate child labour and one of the strategy adopted by the government is to bring together government machineries, civil society and the public to highlight the plight of the child labourers.
Lyngdoh said, “We cannot defend why a child has to undergo domestic work to get education because the right to education (RTE) is in place in the state to help them get educated free of cost.
Lyngdoh also urged the police department to circulate the acts and articulate it to the dorbar shnongs so that they can take necessary action besides calling upon the line departments to submit the details of action taken in this regard so that it can be submitted to the union government and the International Labour Organization.- By Our Reporter
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