'Collective efforts must to end child labour'

Gandaki, July 1:  Collective efforts of three-tier governments as well as other bodies concerned were underlined to end child labour, one of the pressing problems Nepal has been facing, the said speakers. 

At a programme organised by Social Development Centre under the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry here Monday, they pointed out the need of ensuring together the rehabilitation of child labour, reunion with families and formal and informal education programme. 

On the occasion, a campaigner against child labour and Chairperson of Swanta Sukhaya Paropakar Pratisthan, Prof Dr Krishna Kumar Shrestha, expressed the view that child labour could be ended if an environment was created where children were not forced to do labour and imparted appropriate education. It could be resolved with collective efforts, he stressed. 

Likewise, Chief of Labour Office, Pokhara, Suresh Dhakal, shared that though the law has prohibited child labour, children are forced to do labour in different pretexts in urban areas. Even the parents of such children must be made responsible for their duties, he argued.

Talking about the activities carried out by the Centre to end child labour, President of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gokarna Karki, complained of minimum support from government bodies to this campaign. He mentioned that child labour could be stopped if local level were proactively involved to this effect.

Similarly, Chief of Education Development and Coordination Unit, Kaski, Loknath Acharya, however, expressed the view that if someone provides proper care along with education to children from poor families, it should not be considered child labour. 

Other speakers—member of Pokhara-4, Parbati Makaju, Chairperson of the Centre and former President of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rajendra Kumar Lalchan, among others laid emphasis the need of collective efforts of all to stop child labour. 

On the occasion, programme facilitator Bhakta Raj Rasaili, shared that there are 1,147 child workers including 323 girls in Pokhara city alone. Of them, around 650 children are working at workshops, garages and metal industries, it was shared. (RSS)