Karwar: Uttara Kannada (UK) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Gangubai Mankar has emphasized the need for all departmental officials to work diligently towards eradicating child labor in the district, aiming to make Uttara Kannada a child labor-free district.

Presiding over the district-level task force committee meeting of the Child Labor Project Society at the DC's Office in Karwar on Friday, Mankar stated that officials must intensify their efforts to identify and rescue children under 14 years of age working in hazardous factories, industries, and non-hazardous activities. She urged the labor department, police, health, and education departments to collaborate more effectively to provide these children with basic facilities, including education, and integrate them into mainstream society.

Mankar called on Labor Department officials to conduct widespread awareness programs across the district, educating the public about the evils of child labor. She also stressed the importance of informing industries, hotel owners, and entrepreneurs about the penalties for employing child labor, and suggested installing informative publicity boards in public areas.

District and taluk level officials, already appointed under the Child Labor and Youth Labor Act, have been conducting unannounced inspections to detect child laborers. Mankar highlighted the need to provide suitable resettlement facilities for children found at bus and railway stations. She also recommended taking strict legal action against employers of child laborers, ensuring these children receive better educational opportunities and enrollment in residential schools.

With the new school year approaching, Mankar stressed the importance of identifying and re-enrolling school dropouts to prevent them from becoming child laborers. She urged labor and education department officials to perform their duties with increased responsibility.

Labor department officials reported that 2,631 inspections were conducted from April 2023 to March 2024 in the district, during which no child laborers were found. However, nine juvenile workers were identified, and a case was registered against their employers.

Additional DC Prakash Rajput, Deputy Divisional Officer Kanishka, Additional Superintendent of Police CT Jayakumar, Labor Department Officer Veena Masti, and various implementing officers attended the meeting.