Bhubaneswar: The Labour and Employees’ State Insurance department Friday observed World Day Against Child Labour by launching a 15-day statewide anti-child labour campaign and unveiling an awareness poster.
Attending a programme held at the Directorate of Labour in Kharvela Nagar area in Bhubaneswar, department Additional Chief Secretary Chithra Arumugam unveiled the poster and launched the campaign, which will continue until June 26.
Addressing the gathering, Arumugam stressed the need for strict implementation of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
She said eliminating child labour requires a multipronged approach and stronger coordination among government departments.
Arumugam emphasised closer collaboration with the Women and Child Development department and the School and Mass Education department to safeguard and promote children’s rights.
Calling for collective action, she urged all stakeholders to work together to make Odisha free of child labour. As part of the campaign, a ‘Child Labour Eradication Rath’ was flagged off to spread awareness across the state.
Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy outlined the campaign’s objectives and said district-level activities, including rallies, meetings of enforcement officials, inspections, rescue operations and awareness programmes for students, would be organised during the campaign period.
Tripathy said district collectors and district labour offi cers have been directed to ensure the effective implementation of the awareness drive. Representatives of several organisations, including People’s Cultural Centre, Community Radio Association, International Justice Mission, Ruchika Social Service Organisation and Campaign Against Child Labour, attended the programme along with offi cials from the Directorate of Labour and the offi ce of the Joint Labour Commissioner, Khurda.