Labour dept to organise child labour & identification drive from Nov 10 in Rishikesh
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Labour department will organise a child labour identification and awareness initiative in Rishikesh, scheduled to take place from November 10 to December 10. With this campaign, the department aims to eliminate child labour in Rishikesh by January 2026. This information was shared by the assistant labour commissioner of Rishikesh, Deepak Kumar.
Kumar informed that in September, two children were rescued from child labour situations in Rishikesh. Following this incident, they recognised the likelihood of child labour cases in the area. To address this issue, the labour department planned to carry out an identification activity; however, it was unable to proceed due to unforeseen circumstances. Given the gravity of the situation, the department has now resolved to implement the child labour identification and awareness drive in Rishikesh during the specified dates.
He further stated that this initiative will be executed in three phases. The first phase, which will run from November 10 to December 10, will focus on identifying children engaged in child labour and raising awareness among the community. After concluding this phase, the second stage will be followed, during which the labour department will work to inform entrepreneurs in Rishikesh about child labour and raise awareness about it. Finally, the third phase will involve interactions with media personnel, aimed at enhancing public awareness of the harmful effects of child labour. Additionally, during this phase, they plan to reach out to the councillors of each ward in Rishikesh, asking their assistance in ensuring that child labour is not taking place in their respective areas and that any incidents are immediately reported to the department. He emphasised that through this initiative, they aim to make Rishikesh free of child labour by January 2026.
Kumar highlighted that during the Deepawali period, the department had conducted an initiative to identify child labourers; however, no children were rescued during that time.
