Rs610m for labourers’ welfare: minister

LAHORE
Punjab Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said the Punjab government has allocated Rs 610 million with an increase of 11.3 percent of the previous year for the welfare of labourers.
He said the substantial increase in the budget reflects priorities of the Punjab government for the promotion of labour-friendly initiatives including social security and elimination of child labour.
In a statement, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said compiling of provincial data about child labour and timely completion of ongoing mega projects are new targets of the department.
He said Labour Market Information System and Resource Centre will be set up with a cost of Rs 65 million. He said a huge amount of Rs 50 million has been allocated in the budget for provincial child labour survey.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said the Punjab government has started an integrated project for elimination of child and bounded labour along with rehabilitation of vulnerable labour community with a cost of Rs 5.2 billion.
He added to promote culture of decent works, enhance capacity building of industrial units and implement international labour standards, a project of Rs 134 million has been launched. In four districts of the province, Rs 180 million project to eradicate worst form of child labour as well as a project of Rs 196 million for elimination of bounded labour are under process, he informed and said around 120 non-formal education centres are being set up at workplaces including kilns where 4,200 children of kiln workers are also registered.
The minister said computerised inspection system, job portal and updated registration of kilns are also under process whereas safety and health measures are being implemented to ensure health and life security of labourers.
child labour: Punjab Population Welfare Minister Begum Zakia Shahnawaz has said the government is taking numerous steps for the elimination of child labour. She said child welfare centres have been set up where children are provided formal and vocational educational.
She said this while addressing a national conference with regard to child labour held under the aegis of University of Management & Technology. Global Youth Ambassador Mian Zaryab Arif, former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ali Khan, Senator Sardar Mohsin Laghari, Ch Abdul Ghafoor, Talqeen Aftab, Aamina Ulfat and Saadia Sohail, MPA addressed the conference.
The minister said 215 million children all over the world are forced to labour. Neither they go to school nor have the facilities of food.
Half of them are spending life of slavery while remaining half are forced to labour, she said and added only one percent children have the facilities of education. Begum Zakia Shahnawaz said according to National Child Labour Survey, children less than the age of 14 years are forced to labour. She said: “Increasing population is the main cause of child labour and if we succeed to control population, child labour can also be eliminated. Elimination of child labour is the responsibility of everyone”. At the end of the conference, shields were distributed among the participants.