JAIPUR: Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (RSCPCR) has decided to acquire defunct government buildings to keep rescued child labourers in order to rehabilitate them in a proper manner. The organisation during a meeting with police and labour department announced to launch a major child rescue mission from January in a bid to achieve the aim of ‘Child labour-free Rajasthan.’
The defunct buildings, mostly government schools, will be converted into childcare centres with facilities such as education, healthcare, nutritious food, legal remedy and skill training to those who are 12 years and above.
“Along with the rescued children, these centres will provide shelter for their families for a limited period of time. The whole idea is rehabilitating children with their family members with a a sole aim to prevent them from engaging in any labour work,” said Sangeeta Beniwal, chairman of RSCPCR.
Buildings have been identified in Jaipur while in the rest of the places it will be identified. Three to four such buildings have been identified in the city. During the meeting, the experts also discussed the loopholes in the existing laws and ways to make laws more effective.
Commission member Shailendra Pandya highlighted the need for improving the condition of child care centres and the need for proper documentation for smooth rehabilitation. “The absence of the JJ Act, sections on the employer of child labour has often helped them in bypassing the severe punishment. Also, the need of an hour is to create new standard operating procedures for child care centres and provision to track rescued children for at least six months,” said Pandya.
Addressing the delay in compensation to the rescued children, secretary of labour department Neeraj K Pawan directed the district collectors to provide a timely certificate of rescued child labourers. “The timely grant of compensation is key to fast rehabilitation. Also, manufacturing units are required to write ‘Child Labour Free’ on their products,” said Pawan.