Special task force to be set up to rescue children from child labour in State

Task force to rescue child workers in Karnataka to be formed soon; Labour Dept. to take strict action against those employing child labour; Labour Dept. to provide health care, maternity benefits, marriage support & other benefits; Officials to detect fake labour cards & stop benefits to ineligible beneficiaries; Officials to adopt proactive approach & inform public of benefits; Action against outsourcing agencies not paying ESI & PF; Registration of establishments made available online.

The State government will form a special task force to rescue children from child labour, Minister for Labour Santosh Lad said in Belagavi on Wednesday.

“The task force will have members from various departments and wings of the Labour Department and it will work in coordination to detect and rescue child workers in various industries. The plan is in its final stages and will be implemented soon,” he said.

He was addressing a meeting of Labour Department officials from various North Karnataka districts. He spoke in detail about the ills of social evils such as child labour. “It is not only detrimental to the future of such children but even to the future of the nation. We should not let it continue,” he said.

He asked officials to develop a no-tolerance attitude towards such practices and asked them to take strict action against those who employ child labour.

He instructed senior officers of the department to ensure that each taluk has a labour welfare office and that officers are posted at such places.

Mr. Lad said that the department provides health care, maternity benefits, marriage support and other benefits to workers. Officials should not delay grant of benefits to deserving beneficiaries such as construction workers and others.

He, however, observed that in some cases, ineligible beneficiaries have obtained benefits of the Labour Department, by creating fake labour cards. He asked officials to detect such cards and stop benefits to ineligible beneficiaries.