The State Government has decided to conduct surveys in 24 of the 30 districts to indentify child labourers and migration workers. The rest six districts are stated to have no migration problem.
The Government is moving the Centre for sanction of these six districts under the National Child labour Programme (NClP).
Collectors of Kandhamal, Boudh, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Bhadrak will be declared as Nodal Officers in pursuance of the Child labour Prohibition and Regulation Amendment Act, 2016.
The new Act adopted in July 2016 in conformity with IlO conventions prohibits all child labour under 14 years of age and prohibits hazardous work under 18 years.
Hence, labour Department Principal Secretary G Srinivas feels that there a need to generate awareness, community engagement, monitoring and tacking of child labourers in 24 district.
The labour Department and the ESI will organise the Regional Collectors’ Conference at Balangir on October 4 with district Collectors of Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Subarnapur.
And a similar meet will be held at Brahmapur on October 6 with Collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Khordha as these districts are facing the problem of migration of workers to outside the State.
These districts would have help desks to help out these people moving out for jobs in other States. Both district Collectors and SPs will be asked to implement the Inter State Migration Act and also give feedback on how to prevent distress migration.