Converge schemes to check child labour: PlanCom

Widespread use of child labour in India is likely to take centrestage when the Planning Commission discusses the mid-term appraisal of skill development for the 11th Plan period (2007-12).

The Commission, in a draft document to be included in the mid-term appraisal, has emphasised on the need to develop institutional convergence mechanism for both national and state level schemes to combat child labour. It is in favour of removing the below poverty line (BPL) criterion for labour and employment schemes in order to enhance inclusivity.

This could mean integrating government endeavours like National Child Labour Project (NCLP) with social sectors schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Integrated Child Development Scheme(ICDS).

The draft identifies state government institutional structures as the weakest links in preventing child labour. It also suggests revising protocols developed by the ministry of labour, to allow state departments to independently conduct raids for rescuing and rehabilitating children.

The full plan panel will carry out the mid-term appraisal of the entire plan period on March 20. The proposed chapter on skill development shows that even as the global economic downturn adversely affected some sectors like textiles, mining, metals among others, overall employment had risen by 1.51 per cent during the current financial year.

On the other hand, the proposed appraisal says in spite of several legislations and policies, the problem of child labour has persisted as one of the greatest challenges facing the country. According to the 2001 Census, around 1.26 crore children are suffering due to child labour, out of which 12 lakh children are working in hazardous conditions.

The mid-term appraisal draft document states that since the number of processes and occupations has expanded over time , the actual number is likely to be more in the 2009 Census to be available by 2011.

The draft also suggests removal of the below poverty line criterion for most schemes to enhance inclusivity. Other important suggestions include increased focus on evaluation of schemes by central ministries to gauge their effectivity which might be used to channelise funds from low performing schemes to schemes with good performance. This is in line with the resource constraint that the government is facing as it charts out a path of fiscal consolidation.