Child Labour: Labour Dept organises seminar, children’s festival

'Punjab government set up 170 non-formal schools at brick kilns in Kasur and Lahore districts.'

LAHORE:

The Labour Department held a seminar and a children’s festival to mark the World Day against Child Labour on Saturday.

The event was held at the Centre for Improvement of Working Condition and Environment (CIWCE). Saeed Ahmad Awan, the CIWCE director said that the Punjab government, in its drive to eliminate bonded labour at brick kilns and improve conditions for children, had set up 170 non-formal schools at brick kilns in Kasur and Lahore districts. He said 5,500 students were enrolled in these schools. Thirty more schools would be inaugurated soon, he said.

He said that the government aimed at providing better economic opportunities to brick kiln labourers and a micro-credit scheme has been launched for the purpose. Soft loans worth Rs40.8 million were distributed among labourers under the scheme, he added. Health camps were also organised at kilns. He said Rs138 million would be spent to curb child labour in the province.





Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2011.