Child rights activists advocate hostels near work sites

Children of seasonal migrant workers, working in brick kilns, crusher units and construction places in Odisha are deprived of school education as there were no schooling facilities near the work place, the activists claimed.

In Ganjam district, about 1,970 children of migrant workers were present in 25 km radius of Chhatrapur, Chikiti, Digapahandi, Ganjam, Hinjilikatu, Kukudakhandi, Patrapur, Purosottampur, Rangeilunda, Seragarh and Sankhemundi blocks.

The children were found not going to school, according to a survey conducted in work places recently by Unicef and Aide et Action International in collaboration with local NGOs.

South Asia Regional Director of Aide et Action, Umi Daniel presented the survey report at a workshop on the future strategy on migrant child labour held here over the weekend.

As per the survey, most of them are from western Odisha and some from Raigarh and Mahasamud districts of Chhattisgarh. Out of the 1,970 migrating children, a maximum of 978 children are in the age group of 6-14 years followed by 740 children in 0-6 years and only 252 children in the age group of 14-18 years.

While only 34 children were going to school, only 44 were getting anganwadi facility. Only three per cent of the children were getting immunisation facilities, the survey claimed.