Secretary L&HR Vows To Eliminate Child Labour

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd August, 2016) : Newly-appointed Secretary for Labour & Human Resource Department Sohail Shehzad, in his first meeting with Minister for Labour & HR Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, expressed his resolve to eliminate the menace of child labour from the province and ensure to complete welfare-oriented projects of the labour community within stipulated period. Raja Ashfaq Sarwar welcomed the new secretary in the department and expressed the hope that he would extend all-out cooperation, utilising his abilities and experience for the welfare of the labourers. The secretary was briefed about different initiatives and ongoing schemes of the department.

Director General Labour Welfare Muhammad Saleem Hussain, Secretary Punjab Workers Welfare board Shahid Zaman Lak, Senior Manager M&E Urban Unit Abdul Razzaq, Project Director Muhammad Rehan Nabi and other officers of the Department were also present on this occasion.

The minister said that the department would utilise all available resources for elimination of child labour at auto-workshops, hotels and restaurants, petrol pumps and service stations, in the light of the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

He said that provincial child labour survey, being conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, was in the second phase. He said that the Labour, along with education Department and BOS, is determined to get authentic information regarding the children engaged in child labour in these three sectors.

The department, in collaboration with active and prominent NGOs, has enrolled 1,662 children under the age of 15 years in the formal and non-formal schools through social mobilisation by convincing their parents and the employers.

Moreover, about 1,265 adolescents from the age of 15 to 18 years have been enrolled in different vocational training institutes in collaboration with the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) to impart a demand-driven six-month duration skills development training course.

Briefing the meeting, Secretary PWWD Shahid Zaman Lak said that Labour Welfare Complex Warburton Nankana Sahib, Workers Welfare Boys Primary school Sher-e-Bangal Colony, Rana Town, and Workers Welfare High School for Girls Dandot, district Jhelum would be completed this month.

He apprised the meeting that PWWD had disbursed Rs 7 billion among the deserving families of industrial workers during the last five years, whereas stipends are being given to more than 1,600 children of industrial workers studying in medical colleges and 1,000 students at COMSAT on regular basis.

Computerization of welfare grants in nine districts with bigger population of labour community had been finalised and Federal Workers Welfare Board had approved recruitment of technical staff to run the software which would help out in speedy redress of grievances.

The minister directed the officials concerned to perform their duties diligently so that after completion of these projects, labour community could be benefitted from all these welfare projects.