Demanding a bridge course for child labourers and employment for their families, civil society forums on Wednesday formed a human chain at the lower PMG here to mark the National Anti-Child labour Day.
Around 200 children along with members of civil society forums like Campaign against Child labour (CACl), Forum against Child Exploitation (FACE), Campaign against Child Sexual Abuse and Trafficking (CACST), Centre for Child and Women Development (CCWD), Ruchika and Saakar participated in the human chain. According to CACl convener Sudhir Sabat, nearly 47 per cent children are working as child labour and 68 per cent children are school dropouts from 8th class in the State. He also demanded that the Government start Age Appropriate Education, publish white paper on child protection in every three months and strengthen the State-level Child labour Advisory Committee. later, the members of the civil society forums submitted 12-point charter of demands to the Chief Secretary through the labour Commissioner to take steps for development of child labourers. Among others, FACE convener Sadasiv Swain and Bharat Chakra of Save the Children addressed the gathering.