Visakhapatnam: About 170 children were rescued from child labour in 10 operations carried out across the district since the constitution of the district task force committee on child and adolescent labour, leading to filing of 10 prosecutions. Rs 6.5 lakh was awarded to cover the difference in wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and Rs 20,000 was collected in nine cases for the child and adolescent labour rehabilitation fund. These were some of the points discussed during the 12th district task force committee meeting on child and adolescent labour, held at the Visakhapatnam collectorate on Monday.
The meeting was convened to strategise the effective implementation of the Child & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, its 2016 Amendment, and the 2017 Rules. Chaired by Visakhapatnam collector MN Harendhira Prasad, the meeting brought together key officials from various line departments and members of the district task force committee. The committee reviewed the outcomes of previous special drives conducted to rescue and rehabilitate children engaged in hazardous and non-hazardous occupations.
According to M. Suneetha, deputy commissioner of labour, Visakhapatnam, following the directives of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a quarterly special drive is scheduled from January 10 to March 31 to strengthen child labour eradication efforts. A dedicated rescue team has been formed, comprising officials from the police, labour, revenue, education, and health departments, along with representatives from NGOs and the district child protection unit.
