VIJAYAWADA: District Collector B Lakshmikantham has announced Krishna district free of child labour on Tuesday.In a meeting convened with labour department officials, ChildLine and National Child Labour Project (NCLP) at his camp office, Collector Lakshmikantham claimed that they successfully wiped out child labour menace in the district by conducting several enforcement drives during past eight months.
The official added that huge fines were imposed on the employers, found guilty of hiring children below 14, in the open court sessions conducted at the sub-collector’s office.
“From today (Tuesday), Krishna district is free of child labour. The licenses of establishments will be cancelled if the employers are found hiring children below 14 years. Those who resort to child labour canbe slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 and up to one year of prison sentence,” Lakshmikantham warned.
He further said that as many as 165 children, working in different establishments across the district, were rescued during the drives and fines around Rs 7 Lakhs were collected through open court sessions.
He further pointed out that it was necessary for all parents to send their children to school and it was a disgrace for the elders to live out of the kids’ earnings.“When the government is providing free education to young minds, parents should make use of the numerous benefits and welfare schemes being extended,” he said.