SHILLONG: After the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) slammed the prevalence of child labour in the State, especially in the coal belt areas, the Labour Department has initiated steps to check and contain this menace if not eradicating it at one go.
“We are going strong on this issue and we have engaged tips for survey to be conducted to find out the actual number of children working in the coal belt areas of the State rather than relying on statistics provided by a secondary body,” Labour Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters here on Wednesday. Lyngdoh, who recently visited the coal belt areas of Garo Hills to take stock of the matter, said that about 222 children were identified as labourers working in the mining areas out of which 86 per cent were migrants who had come to the State with their parents in search of jobs.
“Without knowing the basic reasons behind the decision of the parents to let their children work in mining areas, it is not right to take any immediate steps to address the issue,” the Labour Minister said.
Lyngdoh also informed that the department is formulating an action plan in this regard and has also sought for inclusion of more provisions to the State Mining Policy to ensure that the welfare of these children is protected at all costs. She also mentioned that cases have been taken up against many mine owners and some were also arrested.
Ampareen, however, noted that the problem to check and identify the activities of mines also lies in the fact that many mine owners do not register their mining activities.
