Lok Sabha Question No. 4191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-22
Subject: Children of Migratory Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Parvesh Sahib Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4191

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2021

## CHILDREN OF MIGRATORY LABOURERS

4191. SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH VERMA:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)the measures taken by the Ministry under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) during the last three years;
- (b)the details of amount spent by the Ministry on NCLP during the said period;
- (c)the  details  of  number  of  beneficiaries  under  the  NCLP  project  per State during the last three years;
- (d)whether  the  Ministry  has  taken  any  initiative  under  NCLP  for  the children  of  migratory  labourers  who  have  suffered  due  to  COVID pandemic; and
- (e)if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a): The Government stands committed to  eradicate the  child labour  in  the  country.  The  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme since 1988 for rehabilitation of child labourers. Under the NCLP, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/withdrawn from work and enrolled in the  NCLP  Special  Training  Centres,  where  they  are provided  with  bridge  education,  vocational  training,  mid-day  meal, stipend,  health  care,  etc.  before  being  mainstreamed  into  formal education  system.    The  children  in  the  age  group  of  5-8  years  are directly  linked  to  the  formal  education  system  through  a  close coordination with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

Further,  to  ensure  effective  enforcement  of  the  provisions of the Child and Adolescent  Labour (Prohibition and   Regulation) Act, 1986  and smooth implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP)  Scheme  a  separate  online  portal    'Platform  for  Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour'  (PENCiL) has been launched w.e.f. 26.9.2017. The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the General public. Further, online complaints regarding child labour can also be filed by anybody  on  the  Pencil  Portal.  The  complaint  gets  assigned  to  the concerned  Nodal  Officer  automatically  by  the  system  for  further necessary action.

Two  more  modules  -  'Attendance'  and  'Stipend  payment' have been added to the Portal. These facilitate Stipend payment to the eligible  children  enrolled  at  the  Special  Training  Centers  directly  to their Bank accounts.

- (b): The  amount  spent  under  NCLP  Scheme  during  2017-18, 2018-19    &  2019-20  was    Rs.94.03  crore,    Rs.89.99    crore  and Rs.77.47 crore respectively.
- (c): The details of number of children who were rescued/withdrawn from work, rehabilitated and mainstreamed under the NCLP project per State during the last three years is at Annexure.
- (d) & (e): Under  the  NCLP  Scheme,  the  District  Project  Society  at District  level  are  required  to  conduct  the  baseline  survey  to  identify child labourers. Based on the number of child labourers identified and rescued from the survey, Special Training Centres under NCLP Scheme are opened for rehabilitation of the child labourers in the age group of 9-14  years.  However,  witnessing  a  large  number  of  migration  of labourers  along  with  their  family  back  to  their  village  from  big cities/towns  during  COVID  pandemic  and  the  possibility  that  the children  of  these  workers  /  labourers  due  to  circumstances  may  slip into  being  Child  Labourers,  Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  had issued advisory to all  States /UTs  to ensure that all such children are immediately  linked  to  education  system  and  be  prevented  and  preempted from being child labourers.  While action needs to be taken as per law against the employers, such children need to be immediately identified  and  arrangements  be  made  for  their  food,  shelter,  safe transportation and re-union with their families.

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Annexure referred to in reply to  part (c) of Lok Sabha  Unstarred Question No.  4191  for  22.03.2021    by  Shri  Parvesh  Sahib  Singh  Verma    regarding Children of Migratory Labourers.

Number of children who were rescued/withdrawn from work, rehabilitated and  mainstreamed  under  National  Child  Labour  Project  (NCLP)  Scheme since 2017 State-wise:

|   Sl. No. | State          | 2017-18   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   |
|-----------|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh | 203       | 778       | 1049      |
|         2 | Assam          | 915       | 4562      | 6175      |
|         3 | Gujarat        | 187       | 101       | 341       |
|         4 | Jharkhand      | 2014      | 1225      | 2940      |
|         5 | Karnataka      | 679       | 763       | 363       |
|         6 | Madhya Pradesh | 11400     | 4910      | 4010      |
|         7 | Maharashtra    | 5250      | 8122      | 9337      |
|         8 | Nagaland       | 197       | 111       | 24        |
|         9 | Rajasthan      | 105       | 0         | 1712      |
|        10 | Tamil Nadu     | 2855      | 2534      | 3928      |
|        11 | Telangana      | 2137      | 935       | 214       |
|        12 | West Bengal    | 17899     | 17137     | 13879     |
|        13 | Haryana        | 0         | 171       | ---       |
|        14 | Odisha         | ----      | ---       | 6         |
|        15 | Punjab         | 994       | 915       | 483       |
|        16 | Uttar Pradesh  | 0         | 8020      | 10371     |
|        17 | Uttarakhand    | ---       | --        | 62        |
|        18 | Bihar          | 2800      | 0         | ---       |

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