Bihar has at least 992 child labourers, nearly 50 per cent more than other populous states, an NGO has found.
Pratham, a non-government organisation in Mumbai, on Saturday released a mid-survey report on the child labourer population in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar.
Two days ahead of World Day Against Child Labour, the ongoing survey has revealed Bihar has 992 child labourers of whom 619 are in Patna. Pratham has till now found 568 and 477 child labourers, respectively, in UP and Maharashtra.
“We covered 4,22,393 shops in Maharashtra...in Bihar, we covered 35,815 shops and identified 992 child labourers,” said Suramya Sadanandan, the Bihar co-ordinator of Pratham Council for Vulnerable Children. The survey started in December last year, she said, and would continue as long as it takes the NGO to cover all the states. Calling the report shocking, Suramya said: “In spite of being smaller than Maharashtra in terms of area and population, Bihar has a larger population of child labourers and it’s quite a shameful figure. Of the 992 child labourers in Bihar, 619 were found in the state capital Patna,” she said, adding that areas such as Gandhi Maidan, Patna Junction, Raja Bazaar and Patna City among others have so far been covered in the city. Of them, 286 were found working in hotels and eateries, 207 in general shops, 43 in garment shops, 37 in cosmetics and jewellery shops, 27 in garages and 19 in poultry shops.
“As part of the survey-cum-awareness programme we visit shops in a particular area every Wednesday to track child labourers,” she said.
The team has found in the course of visits that the people — general residents and those who employ children in work — are less sensitive to the issue than in the other six states.
“In Maharashtra, a lot of rescue operations have been conducted in the past year, while in Bihar, very few rescue operations have been carried out,” said Suramya. “The people are nonchalant about children being engaged in any kind of labour, and in some areas where rescue operations have been conducted, we have seen children still being engaged. Obviously there is no fear among the people.”
The labour department conducts rescue operations in the state, so The Telegraph spoke to its principal secretary Dipak Kumar Singh about the NGO report.
He admitted that the number of child labourers is fairly large in Bihar compared to other states. “Gaya is among the top five places in the country which has a large population of child labourers. There are 13 child labour-prone districts including Gaya, West Champaran and Sitamarhi,” Singh said. “The incidents of child labour are more due to poverty. The government is taking steps to curb this menace.
“Internal rescue operations are conducted. Very soon we will start learning centres for rescued child labourers,” added Singh.
Suramya said, to stop child labour, a signed undertaking should be taken from shopkeepers in which they would declare not to engage child labourers.
“This would send a strong message and also instil a sense of fear,” she said.
