Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, June 12: To commemorate the “World Day against Child Labour”, as per the calander of activities of the National Legal Service Authority, Tehsil Legal Service Committee, Doda in collaboration with District Labour Dapartment, organised an awareness programme.
The programme commenced with meeting of the Tehsil Legal Service Commitee with the officials of the Labour Department namely, Tabish Saleem, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Doda, Pradyot Gupta, Labour Officer, Doda, Legal Aid Panel Lawyers, Para-legal Volunteers, Legal Aid officials, police officials, lawyers and court staff at Court Complex Doda, to sesitize the concerned about the prevalent practice of child labour. Need was felt to spread the awareness among the general public.
A team of officials of Labour Department, Legal Aid Panel lawyers, police officials and official of Tehsil Legal Service Committee was constituted which conducted inspection of number of shops and commercial establishments to find out the instances of child labour in the Doda town.
Alarming number of such shops and commercial establishments were found employing children to work on menial works. Some of the shop owners were found to have engaged such children on hazardous jobs in the name of training, even without payments of salary. Children employed in such jobs were freed on spot and sent to their parents.
Afterwards the offenders were brought to the office of Chairman Tehsil Legal Service Committee, Doda where counselling session was held. Rajeev Gupta, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Doda (Chairman TLSC Doda) and Tabish Saleem, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Doda counselled them about the child rights under the Constitution of India nd International Conventions, and also about prohibition under various laws for employing children in business and commercial activities. The offenders were made to undersand the legal and social implications of employing children in such jobs.
Some parents of children employed in shops also attended counselling session and aired their grievance that there was no scheme for rehabilitation of such children after they are removed from jobs. Parents also keep them in such jobs for supplimenting their income and after removal of children from jobs the parents lose source of income.
ALC apprised the parents about number of welfare schemes which can be handy for rehabilitation of children. District Labour Department was asked to carry on the drive against child labour practices and to send the message across that such practices will not be allowed. The inspection team was sent to other parts of District Doda to spread the awareness against child labour practices.