Govt Committed To Eliminate Child Labour: Minister

(@FahadShabbir)

Govt committed to eliminate child labour: Minister

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Augst,2016) : Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that Punjab Government is fully determined to eliminate all kinds of Child Labour from every sector of society and recently promulgated "The Punjab Restriction on Employment Of Children Ordinance 2016" which will be implemented with letter and spirit throughout the province.

Children freed from auto workshops, hotels and restaurants, petrol pumps and service stations are being enroled in schools and will be provided financial incentives and stipends, he said. He was presiding over second meeting of the Steering Committee constituted by Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to eliminate Child Labour from auto workshops, hotels and restaurants, petrol pumps and service stations.

Co-Convener of the Committee/Chief Secretary Punjab Capt(R) Zahid saeed, Secretaries of Labour& HR, Schools education and Literacy departments, CEO Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA), CEO Punjab Education Foundation(PEF), CEO The Urban Unit, Project Director Integrated Programme/Focal Person and concerned officers of Labour department attended the meeting.

Chief Secretary Punjab/Co-convener Committee Capt(R) Zahid Saeed gave approval to the recommendation of members to delegate powers of inspection and action to DCOs and DPOs at district level where as Assistant Commissioners and Sub Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) at tehsil level against responsible of child labour in these three sectors.

Soon after the issuance of notification in this regard, these inspectors comprising DCO, DPOs, ACs and SDPOs will be able to start inspections of auto workshops, petrol pumps and service stations, hotels and restaurants throughout the province.

Secretary Labour Suhail Shehzad briefed the committee members regarding the implementation plan and said that labour Department in collaboration with Bureau of Statistics (BOS) has conducted Provincial Child Labour Survey, whereas the authentic data collected in first phase of survey comprising details of the children from the age of 5 to 14 years involved in child labour at auto workshops, hotels and restaurants, petrol pumps and service stations of 10 districts, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalnagar, Hafiz Abad, Okara, Sheikhupura, Rahim Yar khan, Khanewal, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Multan is complete.

It was proposed that Rs 2000 one time stipend be given to the parents of children enroled in school for encouragement at admission stage, whereas Rs 2000 per month be given to those who will continue their studies on regular basis.

The adolescents identified in this survey will be enroled under Literacy cum Skills Training Programme in Vocational Trainings Institutes of Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC), TEVTA and other skills training bodies in the evening shifts so that they may continue to earn their living in day time. Project Director Dr.

Saeed Ahmad Wattoo informed the meeting that 2nd phase of baseline child labour survey conducted by BOS in 13 districts was almost complete whereas 3rd and final phase of the survey of the remaining 13 districts will be completed till September 15. The meeting also discussed the matters relating to Third Party Validation (TPV) of the child labour survey of brick kilns, enrolment of new children of brick kilns labourers in schools and issuance of Khidmat cards to them.