With a view to bringing child labourers, which are still prevalent in Odisha, into the mainstream of formal education system, 24 National Child labour Projects (NClP), one each in 24 of 30 districts, are operating in the State, according to the Economic Survey Report.
The six districts which don’t have NClPs reportedly due to less number of child labourers are Nuapada, Bhadrak, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal and Kendrapada.
According to the report children continue to work in various sectors in the State. A whopping 3.4 per cent of Odisha’s child population in the age group of 5-14 year were working in various sectors against 2.4 per cent at all India level in 2007-08. Earlier the problem was more acute.
According to Human Development Report 2011, published by the Planning Commission, child labour is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas and is higher among boys than girls. Boys are traditionally and economically more active in labour market.
According to the report, the number of working children in Odisha had come down from 4,52,394 (5.9 per cent of child population in 5-14 year age group in 1991 to 3,77,594 (4.7 per cent) in 2001.
As per 2001 census, highest number of child labour was reported in Ganjam district (38,947) followed by Mayurbhan (32,994), Keonjar (31,983) and Balngir (15,242), while Jagatsinghpur reported the lowest (2,448). Out of 3,77,594 child workers, 71 per cent were marginal workers.
The number child workers in the State increased to 4.9 per cent in 2004-05 with rural and urban figures stood at 5.3 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. The problem is more acute among Scheduled Tribe communities, in case of which about 8 per cent children are engaged in various economic activities.
During the year, 5.2 per cent of total, 5.6 per cent of rural and 2.2 per cent of urban male child population was reported as working children while the corresponding figures for female child workers stood at 4.5, 5.0 and 1.2 per cent respectively.
However, the magnitude of child labour sharply declined to 3.4 per cent by the end of 2007-08 as against 2.4 per cent at all India level.The report said 32, 715 child labourers were admitted into 700 special schools opened under NClP during 2013-14. They are being provided with text books, educational and vocational materials, mid-day meal and stipend of Rs100 per month per child.