GUWAHATI: Assam government today announced to set up a dedicated fund for prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked children.
"Starting a new chapter of ensuring immunity of children against bonded labour, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced creation of a separate dedicated corpus fund in league with Kailash Satyarthi Childhood Foundation for prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of children of Assam," an official release said.
For this purpose, the government has announced Rs one crore as initial corpus, it added.
"This is a unique initiative of the state government for the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of the exploited and deprived children and guaranteeing their future," the statement said.
This fund was announced by Gogoi during a breakfast meet with Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi this morning.
Gogoi also sought Satyarthi's help in the government's endeavour of making the state free from bonded child labour.
In every district of the state and in 'Assam Bhawans' across the country, the government will designate a nodal officer for identification, rescue and rehabilitation of children under bonded labour, the Chief Minister said.
He also said the dedicated fund will be used exclusively on a three-point agenda -- prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of children.
The statement said that Satyarthi appreciated the state government's handling of insurgency, which is already on the wane.
"Gogoi apprised the Noble Laureate that his government has been able to bring several subversive groups to the mainstream and as a result of which several militant organisations have joined the peace process," it added.