In Rajasthan,child labour under NREGA

According to sources,the trend is mostly visible in Dungarpur district,in villages like Kanela,Billia Bargawa,Golaamba and Bicchhiwara. The children mostly fall in the age group of 9-17 years,and most of them are school dropouts.

These children,until last year,were going to the Bt cotton farms in Sherpur,Laloda,Ganesh Pura,Hassanpura in Gujarat. The pollination time starts in June end and the children stay back till September. However,this time there was a change of plan. According the sources,the children have disclosed how working under NREGA is much better than going to Gujarat,where the pay is less and they have to work long hours.

While under NREGA they get Rs 100 per day,working in a cotton field gets them a meagre Rs 40-60 daily.

The NCPCR has now decided to raise its voice. “This is not acceptable. The issue is very serious and I will write to the Chief Secretary. It should be made clear that children under 18 should not be working,” Shantha Sinha,NCPCR,chairperson told The Indian Express. However,Sinha maintained this has been the first such complaint where children have been found to be working under a government scheme.

The district officials admitted the trend of children working in NREGA but said they have started taking action. “During an inspection,I found children working under this government scheme. While disciplinary action has been taken against the junior engineer,even the contractor has been blacklisted. A district level monitor and a vigilance inspector have been deputed to check this on regular basis,” said Dr Arushi A Malik,District Collector,Dungarpur.

Additional District Magistrate (ADM),Hem Singh Chouhan said these children would now be admitted in schools. He,however,added that summer vacations may also have been the reason for children coming to work here. “Children would no more come to work as the schools have opened and it is only during vacations that they do so,” he claimed.