Rescue coalmine child labourers, warn NCPCR

***NCPCR member Yogesh Dube speaking to reporters Tuesday: Pix by WT Lyntan.***

SHILLONG, JAN 8: The Meghalaya Mineral Mining Policy came under severe criticism from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which observed that the policy it profit oriented completely ignoring safeguard of children from working in coal mines even as it castigated the Meghalaya labour department saying it failed to rescue children working in such mines and have given a seven months deadline to prepare a draft report on eradicating child labour.

NCPCR member Yogesh Dube said what the mining policy calls as “traditional mining” is but an euphemism for the hazardous “rat-hole mining” which poses health hazard especially to children who are illegally working in coal mines in Meghalaya.

Under the NCPCR direction, a steering committee on Child Labour and Bonded Labour has been constituted under the chairmanship of the State Chief Secretary to keep a check on child labour related issues in the state. The labour department has also been directed to rescue and rehabilitate children working in the coal mines failing which the commission will take action.

Dishing out statistic, Dube said the survey conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in seven coal mines spread across 10 villages in Jaintia hills found that there are 343 children working in different coal mines. He wondered how government policy like Mining can ignore the issue of child rights.

After a meeting with the Meghalaya chief secretary WMS Pariat, state labour department, home department and mining and geology department officials, Dube informed that a direction has been given to Meghalaya government to ban “rat-hole mining” and put an end to child labour in the state.

Dube said there was a need to incorporate provisions such as the Justice Juvenile Act in the policy giving a clear cut indication that no children should be employed as labourer in small or large scale mining.

Dube felt that the policy should have been in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines on child labour. He said, “No policy without the welfare of children of the state should be approved.” – By Our Reporter