Around 1,500 out-of-school children are moving aimlessly in the streets in the capital city. While some of them are begging, some others are committing petty crimes, informed child protection activists here. “A large number of children are coming to the capital city with their parents from rural areas. While parents struggle to get work to earn their living, their children don’t go to schools and move aimlessly in streets,” said activists belonging to the SAKAR, a organisation working on children’s welfare.
The SAKAl with support of the ActionAid organised a workshop on the issue. However, Assistant labour Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Mahapatra said various schemes have been taken up for the safety of the street children. Child Welfare Committee Member Dr Jharana Swain and ActionAid Regional Manager Debabrat Patro, ActionAid’s Ghasiram Panda, Umara Bachpan’s Preetiprada and Khordha Child Protection Officer Banishree Pattnaik, SAKAR’s Swarupa expressed their concern for increasing child laborers at the railway station, bus stand, traffic junction and at the cinema halls.
They emphasised that these children should be rescued and rehabilitated as leading street life dangerous for their growth. They opined that Primary Education, labour, Women and Child Welfare Departments, Child Welfare Committee and the Child Protection Unit should work together to give better life to the streetchildren.
Representatives from various organisations like Soch, ClAP, SAHAJOG, CCWD and NIDI Foundation also took part in the workshop exchanging veiws.