By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: NHRC Chairman Justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan said that the State Government has tied up with the TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai for conducting a survey to find out the actual position of child labour in the coal mining areas and other sectors in Meghalaya.
When asked if any NGO had petitioned the Commission on the issue of rampant child labour in the coal mines of Meghalaya as claimed by them, Balakrishnan said, “We never received a single complaint from any NGO on this issue. The Commission has taken up this issue suo moto based on a report in a particular news magazine published from Delhi,” the NHRC Chairman said, adding that even if there is only one child labourer the Commission would take up his/her case.
He said NGOs who claim to be working in this field in the State have not been able to provide data and facts based on ground realities on the problem of child labour which is a surprise.
