Bhubaneswar: As many as 173 child and adolescent labourers were rescued in the State by January in the financial year 2023-24, informed Labour & State Employees’ Insurance Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak in the Odisha Assembly.
Replying to a query from BJP member Bhaskar Madhei on Thursday, Labour & State Employees’ Insurance Minister Nayak told the House that under the provisions of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 ‘show cause notices’ are served and cases are registered against owners in different courts for engaging child labourers in any kind of work and adolescent labourers in hazardous work.
He said that in the meanwhile a total of 14 cases have been registered against different owners in various courts by January in the financial year 2023-24.
The State government is implementing a plan for the prevention and eradication of child labour in coordination with other nine departments, he added.
He further informed that along with this a special awareness programme is organised every year from May till June 12 with the support of various stakeholders at the district and state level.