‘The state government has constituted a force named ‘Sramik Chetna Sainik’ to help the child labourers employed in the unorganised sector,’ state Minister for Labour Resources Awadesh Narayan Singh told IANS by phone.
He said the task force, comprising NGOs and child welfare department officials, will spread awareness and rescue and rehabilitate any child found working in the state. The step aims to abolish child labour completely from the state.
In October, Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes informed Parliament that Uttar Pradesh tops in child labour prevention, followed by Rajasthan and Bihar. Maximum number of children in the age group of 5-14 years were rescued and rehabilitated by the states.
According to the 2001 census, 12.7 million children in the age group of 5-14 years were working. About 540,000 children were ‘main workers’, who worked for over six months, while 580,000 were ‘marginal workers’, who worked for less than six months.
Bihar accounts for 8.9 percent of child labour in India.
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