Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has launched a massive crackdown againstchild labor.
Last month the Centre asked all the states including Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen the enforcement mechanism to prevent child labor and expedite the rescue and rehabilitation of the affected children.
“Strengthen the enforcement mechanism to prevent any violation of the Child and Adolescent Labour Protection Act, 1986. It is also requested to expedite the rescue and rehabilitation of the affected children, ensuring that they receive proper care and access to education, as outlined in the standard operating procedures,” the letter by the Ministry of Labour and Employment reads.
Reiterating the government’s goal of a child-labor-free India, the labor ministry in its letter asked states to make use of the online portal Platform For Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) for complaints and effective implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the Act.
A source in the Jammu and Kashmir’s Labour and Employment Department said they have strategized the entire process of combating child labor in the union territory.
He said following the directions from the Centre, the department is currently conducting regular drives at the district level to rescue the children from various workplaces.
“You might have witnessed that a lot of children have been rescued last month. Our team is conducting surprise checks at various workplaces including tea stalls, mechanic workshops, and offices to rescue the children forced into child labor. The directions have come to every state and UT. Jammu and Kashmir, where the incidents of child labor have come to the fore, too has started a drive against child labor,” the official said.
Last month, the Jammu administration filed 15 FIRs during a crackdown on child labor.
An anti-child labor drive was also jointly conducted by the Child Welfare Committee Kupwara, Child Line, and the District Child Protection Unit in Kupwara town.
The team found two minor children working as laborers. The children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee which initiated an enquiry into the matter.