Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar has directed officials to introduce a ‘Tracking System’ for child labourers in State recently registered under a State-wide survey carried out for child and bonded labourers.
The Chief Secretary, while chairing a meeting of the State-level committee on child and bonded labourers at the Mantralaya further directed that the report of the survey also be made available on the government website.
He asked the officials to get a report of the committees on child and bonded labourers every month.Kumar further directed that every district must open a cell and appoint a Nodal officer for the rehabilitation and survey work for child and bonded labourers.
He said that every freed bonded labourer must immediately be offered an ‘Antyodaya Ration Card’ and provided vocational training for skill development so that they do not become bonded labourers again and become financially self-reliant.
It was informed in the meeting that vigilance committees have been formed in 22 districts under Bonded labourers Guideline Ordinance 1976 while the same are being constituted in the rest of the district. The Chief Secretary directed in the meeting to establish a school for the needy children in all districts by seeking assistance from the NGOs. Currently, the schools for child labourers are operational in 12 districts which are run by Woman and Child Development Department.
The meeting also expressed concern over the incident of trafficking of girls by placement agencies outside the state. To this Kumar issued directives to the Home Department officials for necessary action in this regard. It was also informed in the meeting that a toll free number 1800 2332197 is already operational for receiving complaints on child labour practice for necessary action.
The Chief Secretary also directed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with other States by contacting officials there keeping in view the incidents of labourers from Chhattisgarh kept as bonded labourers in other states. He said that the MoU must be signed so that the arrangement of healthcare , security and food could be made for such labourers including child labourers.
Currently, Chhattisgarh has signed MoU with states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Other senior officials present in the meeting were- Additional Chief Secretary, labour, Vivek Dhand, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, D S Mishra, Principal Secretary, Ajay Singh, Principal Secretary, Forest, Sunil Kujur, Secretary, Woman and Child Development Subrat Sahu, Secretary, labour, Jiten Kumar besides officials from UNICEF and the committee members.