Rajesh Tiwari (Bureau Report)
Sonbhadra / Uttar Pradesh –
A meeting of the District Task Force was held in the Collectorate Auditorium, Sonbhadra under the chairmanship of Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue). In the meeting, there was a detailed discussion on making the district child labor free, effective identification of child and adolescent labour, rescue, rehabilitation and participation of various departments in the child labor eradication campaign.
It was told in the meeting that under the priority of the Labor Department, Uttar Pradesh Government and the Chief Minister, all the districts of the state are to be declared child labor free by the year 2027 and 16 districts including aspirational districts by the year 2026. In this sequence, awareness and rescue campaigns are being conducted in Sonbhadra in coordination with Labor Department, AHT and Association for Voluntary Action.
Under the campaign, 33 child/adolescent laborers were identified in the months of June and July and necessary action was taken against 27 institutions. Educational and economic rehabilitation of the identified children and providing necessary assistance were also discussed in the meeting.
A target has been set to declare 621 gram panchayats, 6 nagar panchayats and 1 municipality of 10 development blocks of the district as child labor free by December 2026. For this, the process of passing child labor free resolution will be adopted through Gram Panchayat and Block level Child Welfare and Protection Committee in rural areas and Ward level committees in urban areas. After this, approval will be done by the district level committee.
In the meeting, information was also given regarding the role of teams and nominated nodal officers for identification of child and adolescent laborers as well as bonded labourers, rescue and rehabilitation of street and homeless children. All concerned departments were instructed to actively cooperate in the rescue and rehabilitation operation and ensure effective action at their respective levels.
Emphasis was also laid on organizing necessary meetings by the Labor Department to coordinate with the Development Block Officers, Village Development Officers/Panchayat Secretaries and Executive Officers to pass the child labor free resolution.
Officers and representatives of various departments including District School Inspector, CO, Deputy CMO, DLSA representative, District Child Protection Unit/Child Welfare Committee representative, Police Department, Child Help Line Coordinator, District Skill Management, Development Block Officer, District Supply Officer representative, AHT, BDO representative, Labor Department official and NGO representative were present in the meeting.