Telangana prepares action plan to eliminate child, adolescent labour by 2021

Hyderabad: Telangana Government has prepared an action plan for elimination of ‘child and adolescent labour’ by 2021, for which UNICEF has agreed to provide technical and budgetary support.

As per the 2011 census, there are 3.29 lakh child and adolescent labourers in the state, an official release said.

Chief Secretary S P Singh reviewed ‘State Action Plan on Elimination of Child and Adolescent Labour’ at a meeting with senior officials of Labour, Police, Women and Child Development, Education and Finance departments on Sunday, it said.

Principal Secretary, Labour, Rajat Kumar informed that the amended Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2016 prohibits engagement of children up to the age of 14 years in all occupations, and engagement of adolescents up to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes.

“As per the 2011 census it is estimated that there are 3.29 lakh child and adolescent labourers working primarily in mechanic shops, bangle making, hotels, brick kilns, cotton farming and ginning industry. The Government of Telangana has prepared an action plan to eliminate such labour by 2021. UNICEF has agreed to provide technical and budgetary support for the plan,” Kumar was quoted as saying.

The chief secretary approved the plan, the release said.