PL&HR Deptt Enrols 4,524 Children In Different Schools

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th August, 2016) : Provincial Minister for Labour & Human Resources Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that the Punjab Labour & Human Resource Department has enrolled 4,524 children in schools, who were working as child labour in the city.

While presiding over a meeting here on Tuesday, the minister said that these children, in the age group of 5 to 14 years, were working as child labour at auto-workshops, petrol pumps, service stations, hotels and restaurants.

These schools have been enrolled in different schools of the school education Department, Punjab Education Foundation partner schools and Non-Formal Basic Education Centers, established by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The department has also enrolled 2,764 adolescents from the age of 14 to 18 years via its 6-month duration Literacy-cum-Skills Training Programme in different vocational training institutes of the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC).

These children were identified by Bureau of Statistics through a provincial child labour survey, conducted in districts of Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalnagar, Hafizabad, Okara, Sheikhupura, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Multan. Secretary Labour Sohail Shehzad, DG Labour Welfare Muhammad Saleem Hussain, Project Director Integrated Project/Focal Person Dr Saeed Ahmed Wattoo, Director Labour (HQ) Dawood Abdullah, Senior Manager the Urban Unit Abdul Razzaq and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that it had been proposed to give Rs 2,000 to the parents of children enrolled in schools as encouragement once whereas their children who will continue their studies will be given Rs 2000 per month as stipend. Project Director Dr Saeed Ahmed Wattoo informed the meeting that PVTC will impart training to the enrolled adolescents in the evening shift so that they would be able to earn their livings in the morning hours.

Moreover, Labour Department will ensure the provision of suitable jobs after the completion of training to eligible and talented adolescents. Minister Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar directed the officers concerned to accelerate the pace of work in this project for elimination of child labour in these three sectors.

The meeting also discussed matters of Third Party Validation (TPV) regarding verification of authenticated data of children involved in child labour at brick-kilns of the province.