Sushil Darnal,
July 7 (RSS): The enforcement of the ‘Child labour free transport campaign, 2075’ has brought about a steady decline in the number of children working as assistants in public vehicles in the capital.
The central child welfare board and labour office, Bagmati took a joint initiative to rid the transport sector, regarded as worst and hazardous form of labour for children, free of child labour. The campaign had begun on May 21.
The campaign began with rescuing the child workers from different passenger buses and bus parks in the valley. As much as 14 children had been rescued in a day. “The monitoring is now down to once a week, and it’s become rare to find child labourers in the transport sector,” child protection officer at the committee Sunita Shah said.
According to the labour office, Bagmati, 61 child workers have been rescued since the campaign was initiated almost two months ago. They were between the age of 14 and 17. The rescued children are either handed over to their guardians with support for their education or to shelter homes in case their guardians are not found.
Likewise, during the campaign, seven drivers cum owners of public vehicles were warned while 50 were penalized. The penalty led to revenue collection worth Rs. 150,000, according to chief of the office Udaya Gupta.
The ‘vehicle and transport management act, 2049’ also prohibits the employment of children below 18 to work as drivers or their assistants. Furthermore, the child labour act provides for a punishment of one year in prison or 50,000 rupees in fine or both to those who employ children as labourers.
Meanwhile, the committee has appealed to all to help identify and rescue the child workers from the public transport sector. For support and other related information, the committee has set up a toll free number 104 of the children search and coordination centre and the toll free phone 1098 of child helpline.
