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The Uttar Pradesh government has set a target of making the state free from child labour by the year 2027.
Unprecedented coordination has been established between the departments of Education, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Home, Health, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Urban Development, and Vocational Education under the leadership of the Labour Department to achieve the goal. To deal with challenges like a lack of data and retention of children in schools in the path of eliminating child labour, the government has taken concrete and innovative steps, which are taking Uttar Pradesh towards an empowered and prosperous society. The biggest challenge of eliminating child labour has been the unavailability of reliable data, as no comprehensive data is available in this regard since the 2011 census. To deal with this problem, the Panchayati Raj Department has been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting data on working children and child labourers at the village level. This data will be shared with the Labour and Education Department, so that child labour elimination programmes can be implemented effectively. District task forces will soon be formed in all districts, which will speed up data collection in collaboration with panchayats. In addition, in collaboration with UNICEF, schemes of various departments will be compiled in a booklet, which will contain information about schemes benefiting child labourers and their families. This initiative will ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach every needy child and their family. Another major challenge is the retention of those children in schools who do not come to school regularly despite enrollment and fall into the category of potential child labour. To deal with this problem, the Women Welfare Department's Bal Seva Yojana, Sponsorship Scheme, and Child Helpline are being actively implemented. Through these schemes, children are being provided opportunities for education and rehabilitation. The government's 'Naya Savera' scheme is being qualitatively evaluated, and its re-implementation is being considered so that child labourers can get better opportunities. For public awareness, a grand program will be organised in Lucknow on June 12 on International Child Labour Prohibition Day, in which the cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), employers and labour organisations will be taken. This resolution of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is building a new Uttar Pradesh with the coordination and collective efforts of various departments. Through data compilation, awareness campaigns, and rehabilitation schemes, the government is not only moving rapidly towards eliminating child labour but is also playing a leading role in providing education and a secure future to children. This campaign will prove to be a milestone in the direction of making Uttar Pradesh child labour-free by 2027. The Yogi government is running the Atal Residential School for the children of workers in all the divisions. Apart from this, the Chief Minister is trying to connect the children of rural areas and child labour with quality education through the Composite School. (ANI)
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