BAHAWALPUR: By allocating more than Rs5 billion, the Punjab government has launched a comprehensive programme aimed to eradicate the curse of child labour by extending non-formal and formal education and professional skill to the child labourers.
This was stated by various speakers while addressing a seminar organised by the labour welfare department held at the District Council hall, Bahawalpur on Monday. The seminar was chaired by Additional Secretary Dr Sohail Shehzad and additional secretary labour and HRD.
Dr Sohail said that the Punjab chief minister had attached special significance to completely wipe out the scourge of child labour and to provide its victims an opportunity to seek formal education and professional skill which is vital to establish a vibrant and productive human resource base.
The meeting was briefed that the government of Punjab launched a project under the WFCL amounting to Rs180 million in four districts of the including Layyah, Jhang, Chakwal and Jehlum. Similarly, in Kasur and Lahore districts, another project amounting Rs123 million was also underway which would extend education skills and provide soft loans to the labourers working at the brick kilns. The meeting was also briefed that another project aimed to eradicate child labour and to extend health and education cover to the children, was underway with an allocation of Rs190 million in four districts of the province including Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Gujrat.
The seminar was addressed by labour welfare Bahawalpur Director Basharat Ali, Assistant Director Labour Zubair Hassan Rajput and Zeeshan Mustafa. During the seminar, a detailed briefing was also held pertaining to the education supplies, monitoring checklist and the process of payment to the partner schools.
Later, an awareness walk from the District Council hall to the Saraiki Chowk was also held. The walk was led by the additional secretary, and representatives from different govt departments as well as members of the civil society also participated in it.
