SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Child Protection Services today observed World Day against Child Labour with theme “Act now: End child labour”.
Speaking on the 2021 theme for the day, Mission Director, Child Protection Services J&K, Shabnam Shah Kamili, said that elimination of child labour is our main agenda as it is not only a legal offense but unacceptable in a civilized society.
She said Integrated Child Protection Services has established District Child Protection units and constituted Child Welfare Committees in each district of Jammu and Kashmir. The department, in a time span of 17 months from Jan 2020 and May 2021, rescued 30 children from child trafficking besides retrieving 215 children engaged in child labour, among them 50 were not from J&K, she added.
She said that the Government provides special counseling and medical aid to such children and has also established shelter facilities. She added that as per reports, an amount of Rs. 5.42 lakh and Rs. 4.80 lakh have been collected as penalty from the people who had employed children in Jammu and Kashmir respectively.
Mission Director said that events of Child labour can be reported anonymously on helpline number set up by the Childline India Foundation (CIF) to aid children in distress.
