When the nation observes Anti-child Labour Day on Wednesday, Thiruvananthapuram has much to cheer about and be proud of. The district is all set to be declared child labour-free by Collector K N Satheesh at a function to be held at Government UP School, Vellarada.
As per the data with Childline, only 82 cases of child labour had been reported here in the previous financial year, which is less compared to other districts.
According to the notification released by the Union Ministry of Labour in October 2006, Section 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act 2000 and the policy document of the State Plan of Action for Child in Kerala-2004, engaging children in labour is punishable.
On finding child labour, in Kerala, people can inform the helpline number ‘1098’ of Childline, under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, or the nearby police station.
The function declaring Thiruvananthapuram district as child labour-free will be inaugurated by A T George MLA. Vellarada panchayat president C Ashok Kumar will preside over. Prior to the programme, an awareness seminar on child labour will be held for parents and children.
The programme is being jointly organised by the district administration, state Labour Department, Childline and Don Bosco Veedu Society.
