Inter-State coordination mechanism is required to address the problems faced by migrant children from Jharkhand and Bihar going to brick kilns in West Bengal, said HRD Secretary Aradhana Patnaik here on Friday. She emphasised on coordinated efforts from all Government departments, inter-State cooperation and effective planning to ensure continuation of welfare schemes launched for the migrant children.
Speaking at the ‘Inter-State meeting on the issues of migrant children’ Patnaik said that the department would try to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bihar, Jharkhand and West Begnal in line with one signed between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to make social sector benefits reach the intended beneficiary irrespective of the place of residence and that the centre can act as facilitator in the efforts. A number of areas of joint efforts for the three states cropped up during the course of the discussion.
“Besides, all the States will also have to ensure inter-department convergence mechanism to provide education, health and all other facilities to children of migrant labourers. Both the States also need to establish seasonal hostels for these children. Mobile learning centres can also be started for such children working in West Bengal. Both the states need to sit together and work out a strategy, budget for which could be provided by the Union Government as per requirement,” added Patnaik.
Stressing on the same lines, Sanjay Mishra, member State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) vowed to organise an inter-State coordination meeting of SCPCR in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar to work out a common strategy for children affected with these issues. Speaking on the occasion Mahadev Hansda, State programme manager, ‘Save the Children’ said: “Hundreds of labourers from Jharkhand migrate to brick kilns in West Bengal every year with their family and children. As an outcome of seasonal migration children drop out of schools and are deprived of education opportunities or vocational skills which can enhance their circumstances. Coordination between SSA Jharkhand and West Bengal is required to ensure continuous education to these children.”
According to Hansda, Hindi text books should be provided for migrant children in Government schools in West Bengal, enrolment of children should be ensured once they are back in Jharkhand and they should be tracked here for providing midday meal, text books, school dress etc as per provisions of Right to Education Act. Notably, the organisation has been working with migrant children in 70 brick kilns spread across two districts —North 24 Parganas and Malda districts of West Bengal since 2007-08.
Focus of intervention in different age category is to ensure early childhood care and development of (3 to 5 years), immediate access to quality elementary education (6 to 14 years), vocational skills training (14 to 18 years). Besides, it also aims to provide protection to children from neglect, abuse, exploitation and child labour in brick kilns. Statistics show that large number of people from Jharkhand migrate each year to work in brick kilns in West Bengal. In the year 2014-15 around 712 children in the age group of 0-5, 6-14 and 15-18 went to West Bengal.
Similarly, 740 children migrated from Jharkhand in 2013-14 while 764 children had moved in 2012-13 with their parents to work in kilns in the neighbouring district. Notwithstanding that migration to brick kilns is taking place from across Jharkhand, figures show that large number of people migrate from Sahebgunj, West Singhbhum, Ranchi and Gumla. Shanti Kindo, Chairperson, Jharkhand Child labour Commission, officials from HRD and labour department of Jharkhand and NGOs from Jharkhand and West Bengal were part of Friday’s consultation.