Spl drive to identify child labourers in Anantapur

Anantapur: Joint Collector Ketan Garg directed the officials concerned to conduct a special drive for 20 days to find out child labourers working across the district.

He held a district Task Force committee meeting at mini conference hall at Anantapur district Collectorate on Thursday.

The Joint Collector said that according to National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, drive against child labour will be launched from November 20 and will continue till December 10. As part of this drive, inspections will be conducted at shops and establishments, hotels, mechanic shops, terraces, brickyards, construction firms and mines etc., in the district and legal action will be taken against those, who employ child labourers aged below 14 years, he warned.

If children below the age group of 18 years are found working in dangerous situation in industries, the JC directed the officials to file cases against the owners of such industries.

Joint Collector Ketan Garg instructed the officials concerned to take appropriate measures for the rehabilitation of the child labourers after identifying them. Besides taking action against employers, who violated the laws and filing FIRs, he directed to register cases under the Minimum Wages Act and additional court penalties should be imposed for the period during which the child labourers worked. Adequate instructions have been issued to the authorities to make the district a child labour-free district where special inspections will continue.

CWC chairperson Meda Ramalakshmi, Labor DC G Lakshmi Narasaiah, Social Welfare JD Madhusudan Rao, ICDS PD B Sridevi, Factories Deputy-in-Chief Inspector Kesavulu, DEO Nagaraj, Comprehensive Punishment APC Varaprasad, Labour AC Raghuramulu, Assistant Labour officers, officials of various departments and others participated in the meeting.