Steps to Free Chenchu Children from Labor

Nagarkurnool : Strict action must be taken against those employing Chenchu children for labor, and efforts should be made to raise awareness among Chenchu communities through cultural artists to prevent child marriages, stated Nagarkurnool District Collector Badawat Santosh. In a directive to officials, the collector emphasized identifying Chenchu children involved in various labor activities and enrolling them in schools to provide better education.

During a video conference meeting on Monday evening with Additional Collector K. Seetharama Rao and ITDA Project Officer Rohit Gopidi, the collector discussed liberating school-age Chenchu children from labor and ensuring they receive quality education with officials from the Women and Child Welfare, Labor, and ITDA departments. The collector ordered strict legal action against those employing Chenchu children for various jobs, particularly targeting employers of these children.

He stressed the importance of registering cases against such employers. Furthermore, the collector instructed officials to work with cultural troupe artists to raise awareness among the parents of Chenchu children in all 88 Chenchu habitats in the district, encouraging them to enroll their children in suitable schools. The collector noted reports that many Chenchu children were leading harsh lives as child laborers due to being distanced from school.

He highlighted the issue of parents being enticed with small amounts of money to send their children to work in different places and directed officials to take stringent action against such practices. Ensuring full awareness among parents, arranging necessary facilities for children's education, and providing them with required clothing and other necessities were also emphasized. Officials were urged to follow labor laws and the Muskaan laws to free Chenchu children from labor and lay the foundation for a bright future.

Continuous monitoring of children once they are freed from labor and enrolled in schools was advised. Preventing child marriages among Chenchu girls and raising awareness about the importance of education were underscored as primary duties of departmental officials. The collector reviewed details of cases handled under the Muskaan initiative and stressed similar efforts to free Chenchu children from labor and provide them with better education.

Departments were urged to work collectively to brighten the lives of children, including identifying and supporting any children in shelters or orphanages. Rescue personnel were encouraged to work diligently, considering it their professional and personal responsibility to illuminate the lives of these children. Officials from various departments, including District Women and Child Welfare Officer Rajeshwari, District Labor Officer Raj Kumar, Child Protection Chairman Lakshman Rao, District Child Protection Officer Srisailam Goud, and others, participated in the meeting.