It is good to note that the Punjab Government has recently launched a comprehensive project for elimination of child labour from different sectors. The project launched as yet another initiative of energetic and innovative mind Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif not only aims at elimination of child labour but also go a long way in promoting education in the vulnerable section of the society by sending school going age children to the schools.
According to the reports, proper, effective and efficient implementation of the comprehensive project, estimated to cost huge amount of Rs 5 billion, will help in elimination of child labour from auto workshops, filling stations , service stations, hotels, restaurants and brick kilns where large number of children are seen working instead of going to the schools because of various factors. The project on one hand eliminate child labour from these sectors and on the other hand ensure enrolment of the children in the non-formal basic education centres and skill training centres to enable them get some essential education and acquire some technical skills for earning livelihood for themselves and their families in a quite respectable manner.
Reports said even prior to the launching of the Integrated Project for Elimination of Child Labour and Promotion of Decent Work, some measures were already undertaken on the direction of the Chief Minister and a as many as over 70 thousand children had been enrolled in collaboration with well-reputed NGOs in different non-formal basic education centres, Punjab Education Foundation partner schools and Provincial School Education Department after successful campaign for elimination of child labour under the age of 14 years from brick kilns throughout the province. This is not all. Adolescents aged between 14 to 18 years in pretty large number had also been enrolled in vocational training institutions for training in various vocations.
All this surely augurs well for elimination of child labour as well as enrolment of the children in educational institutions all over the province.
While appreciating all these measures for elimination of child labour from the province, the official quarters concerned of the Punjab Government are requested to launch similar comprehensive project for elimination of beggary in general and of children begging in particular at the earliest possible. Increasing number of beggars including the children thronging all markets, shopping centres and main crossings in Lahore and elsewhere in the province certainly do not give good look and are virtually a slap on the society to say the least.
Kamran Khan
Lahore