Envisions this campaign as a mass movement to wipe out this curse

Jalandhar,
DC launches special awareness campaign Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Mr Varinder Kumar Sharma today embarked a massive social awareness campaign under National Child Labour project to make the people aware against the social menace of Child labour.

Launching the posters of this campaign, the Deputy Commissioner said that the main aim of this campaign was to wipe out this curse from the district. He said that under the project strenuous efforts were being made by the district administration to ensure that the exploitation of children through child labour was checked at every cost. Mr Sharma said that the district administration has been making all out efforts to make sure that students were not forced to do work.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the administration was running 27 schools where children were imparted free primary education. He said that besides education these schools were also carrying out various activities for overall personality development of these children. Mr Sharma said that various activities would be now carried out by the administration in the Child Labour Week to be observed by administration.

The Deputy Commissioner said that provisions of The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 were being implemented strongly for ensuring the well-being of children. He said that the recent amendments in the Act have made provision for stringent punishment to the offenders. Mr Sharma said that section 3 of the Act now debars any Child below the age of 14 years from working in any hazardous or non hazardous institution adding that as per section 3 (a) any adolescent (14-18 years) may work in non hazardous institution but they could not be forced to work for more than five hours. He said that violation of these provisions could lead to punishment of six months to two years of imprisonment and fine of Rs 20,000- Rs 50,000. Mr Sharma said that if the parents of any child force him to work then they too could be penalized for it.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner lauded the NGO, SAS foundation for taking keen part in this awareness drive. He said that such endeavours on part of NGOs would be instrumental in making this campaign a mass movement.

On the occasion Project Director of National Child Labour Project Mr Sukhjinder Singh and President of SAS Foundation Ms Ramanpreet Kaur were also present.