Gather data, devise strategies, change policies and laws comprehensively to stop child labour: Parliamentary panel to Centre

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, headed by senior Biju Janata Dal (BJP) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, tabled a detailed report on the implementation of the Centre’s policy on child labour in Parliament

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, headed by senior Biju Janata Dal (BJP) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, tabled a detailed report on the implementation of the Centre’s policy on child labour in Parliament on December 20. The report, titled ‘National Policy on Child Labour - An Assessment’, states the country has a long way to go in eliminating child labour, and requires changes to the policies and laws that govern the issue. The 582-page report touches upon almost all aspects of the issue, and recommends various Ministries of the Centre and the States take coordinated steps to address it.

The panel has recommended that discrepancies in the criteria for determination of the age of the child in various Acts, as well as the provisions of offence being cognisable/non-cognisable under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 be examined to ensure they did not lead to any ambiguity or delay in securing justice for aggrieved children.

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The panel has also recommended that, in addition to the three-four times increase in the amount of fine, stricter punishment in the form of cancellation of license, attachment of property, etc., needed to be incorporated to protect the interests of children. “This may require amendment in the Act, which the [Union Labour] Ministry should pursue in order to have zero tolerance on child labour,” the report said.

The panel said the number of working children has decreased from 1.26 crore (as per 2001 census) to 1.01 crore (as per 2011 census), and the number of working children in the age group of five-14 years has also decreased from 57.79 lakh (as per 2001 census) to 43.53 lakh (as per 2011 census).

The panel said the Ministry of Labour does not conduct any survey to ascertain the number of child labourers across the country and consider this data as child labour data.