The Union Government has launched a website “pencil.gov.in” on which the public can register complaints related to employment of children. Anti-Child Labour Day programmes here on Wednesday focused on creating awareness about the website.
According to the project director of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) D.V. Vijaya Kumar, District Revenue Officer Ramadurai Murugan administered the pledge to government officers that they will not employ child workers.
Officials in the Coimbatore Corporation also took a pledge to not engage children below 14 years of age as labourers. Deputy Commissioner S. Prasanna Ramasamy administered the pledge to officials in front of the Council Hall, said a release from the civic body.
Nearly 500 school students took out a rally from the Collectorate to VOC Park grounds carrying placards against child labour.
A signature campaign was also organised at the Collectorate. Awareness stickers about the website were released. Students of GD School released nearly 1000 balloons with the NCLP logo and students from Sri Krishna Arts and Science College pasted the stickers on buses at Ukkadam and Gandhipuram bus stands. The stickers urged the public to use the website to register complaints related to child labour.
The NCLP, which was operating 27 special centres in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, has reduced it to nine this year. The Women Development Corporation is doing a survey and based on the child workers and school dropouts identified by it, more centres will be opened, Mr. Kumar said.