Survey of child workers to be over this month

Publication: The Hindu

Author: R. Vimal Kumar

Entire profile of all children aged between five and 14 years being prepared in Tuticorin

Consolidated data to be used for chalking out plans to eradicate child labour

TUTICORIN: The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) is all set to complete enumeration of child workers in Tuticorin district before February end.

Speaking to The Hindu on Thursday, R. Natarajan, Project Director, NCLP, said that as part of the process door-to-door survey was being conducted by officials of NCLP in tandem with field staff deployed under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) project and Sarva Shiksha Abiyan (SSA).

He said that the census would be taking into account the entire profile of all children aged between five and 14 years. The figures of non school-going, dropouts and employed children would be tallied separately.

Mr. Natarajan said that the break up would enable the authorities concerned to help the non school-going and dropout children, who were potential child labourers, to enrol themselves in mainstream education thereby wean them away from employment at a tender age. The consolidated data of the survey would be used for chalking out highly effective action plans to eradicate child labour in the district.

Last year, a total of 121 child workers were rescued in the district which was considerably high vis-À-vis 2006 when only 51 children were taken away from their workplace.

Child worker welfare

Mr. Natarajan said that new sets of uniform were distributed a few days ago to all 849 rescued child workers (494 girls, 355 boys) who were presently studying in 19 special schools run by NCLP in the district.

The clothes were procured from the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society (Co-optex) and stitched at tailoring units operated by a women cottage industries co-operative society at a total cost of Rs.1.5 lakh.