THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Creating a model for other states, the
state government has given clearance for the launch of 14 mobile creches exclusively for the care and protection of children of
migrant workers in the state.
According to an order issued in this regard on Thursday, the government has also sanctioned Rs 1.12 crore for implementing the project mooted by the women and child development department.
Among the 14 creches is the one in
Ernakulam which was launched in Ernakulam on an experimental basis last year. The creche will now be made fully functional. The creches will be attached to selected anganwadis in areas where there are large number of migrant workers and their families. The creches will have a vehicle that will collect the children from various places to be taken care of till their parents are back home after work. The transportation to and back from the creche will be supervised by those working with the creche. The project aims to cover children between six months and three years.
The creches will function 25 days in month, between 7am and 6pm. The facilities will be managed by two dedicated employees in each of the two shifts –– 7am to 12.30 pm and 12.30pm to 6pm.
The employees will be women with a minimum qualification of Plus Two and a basic course on child welfare management, preferably from the same ward where the creche is functioning. They will be appointed on contract basis.
The children will be provided nutritious food three times a day, and Rs 25 has been earmarked for a child’s food in a day. The locations for creches have already been identified in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kannur districts.
In the governor’s address last year, it was announced that 250 creches would be set up near anganwadis and a sum of Rs 5.55 crore was earmarked in the budget for infrastructure development, provision of nutritious food for the children and training of the creche employees.
The state government has already come up with attractive initiatives for migrant workers. Earlier, the labour department had issued a detailed order for the welfare of migrant workers which is based on the Centre’s Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act of 1979, which if violated by employers, will attract penal provisions.
The order had made it mandatory to provide living conditions based on certain specifications including the size of the rooms, provision of lavatories, clean drinking water, medical facilities and canteen facility. Subsequently, the government itself came up with housing facility for the migrant workers titled ‘Apna Ghar’ and has completed the first such unit at Palakkad at the cost of Rs 8.50 crore. The government has also launched a health insurance scheme titled Aawaz for the migrant workers, under which 2,75,000 workers have already enrolled.
In another recent initiative, the government has opened facilitation centre-cum-grievance cell at Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts.