From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Meghalaya’s Minister for Labour Ampareen Lyngdoh has said that considering several reports of child labour in the State, the Government has completed the vulnerability mapping of hazardous occupations under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 in the entire hill state.
‘The State Protocol for Child Labour’ was also prepared by the department after consultation with various stakeholders and adopted for the first time in the State, she said.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had visited several places in the State and reported about rampant child labour mainly in the coal mines.
Employment & Employability Delivery Systems in the State of Meghalaya are being improved through the setting up of new Government ITIs, upgradation of existing Government ITIs, implementation of innovative Skill Development Programmes for enhancing Employability and Modernization of existing Employment Exchanges, the minister said.
She was speaking at the state labour ministers’ conference here on Saturday.
Ampareen also urged the Union Ministry for Labour and Employment to see that the Regional Labour Institute at Shillong comes up at the earliest possible which will go a long way in meeting the capacity building needs of the Labour sector.
The State Government has already allotted a land for this purpose.
Highlighting the achievements of the State Government, the Minister said that minimum wages have been revised with effect from this month and a major decision was taken to introduce Consumer Price Index linked Variable Dearness Allowance so that the minimum wages can be revised every six months, she said. Compensation cases for workers under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 were taken up for the first time, she added.
Union Minister for Labour and Employment Narendra Singh Tomar has said that it is the first priority of the Government to promote employment. Addressing the conference of State Ministers for Labour & Employment in New Delhi on Saturday, he said the Government is making an effort to promote relevant skill of the youth of the country along with employment.
To achieve this, the Government is working on a scheme converting employment Exchanges into Career Promotion Centers.
Referring to skill development, he said, the Directorate of Employment & Training proposes to revise and upgrade ITI syllabus and courses. Tomar said that work has also begun to strengthen social security measures for the unorganized sector by strengthening and expanding the national health insurance scheme.
He said it is the collective responsibility of the State and Central Governments to identify and register 47 crore such workers and to reach them all entitled benefits as the subject is in the concurrent list of the Constitution.