While addressing the workshop on ‘Child labour free Smart city’, Chairman of Child Rights Commission Raghvendra said that the cities would not become smart by making the cities jungle of concrete. The society must grow sensitive towards children to eradicate child labour completely, he added.
On this occasion, legislator Surendra Nath Singh said that he would raise the issue of child labour in the assembly and spread awareness in the society. Member of Parliament Alok Sanjar on the occasion also requested the children not to follow the path of using of intoxicants.
During the workshop, Assistant labour Commissioner Bhanu Pratap Singh said that child labour has reduced in large scale industries, but it has increased in the city areas. He also informed about the difficulties faced in the rehabilitation of these children. Raveena of Bal Panchayat said that if the streets and markets are flooded with children begging, then the city cannot be called smart city.
The workshop was organized by Nivseed Bachpan at regional science centre in Shyamla Hills. In this workshop almost 200 children, youth and women of organizations Bal Panchayat, Muskan and Uday took part. On this occasion legislators of ward number 48, 49 and 50 also addressed the participants.
In the workshop the report on child labour in the city was presented. In an unofficial survey carried out by Nivseed Bachpan, Muskan and Uday children between the age of 6 and 18 was found to be doing 14 types of work. The maximum children were found as beggars or as plastic waste collectors.
These children were found in the areas Bhopal Railway Station, Gandhi Nagar, Board Office, MP Nagar, New Market, Nadira Bus Stand, New Kabadkhana, Nehru Nagar Kotra and Ashima Mall. They were found working from 5 am to 11 pm. Children involved in most dangerous jobs were seen in the Kabadkhana area.