STAFF REPORTER
The government’s initiatives to end child labour have started bearing fruit as number of child labour in the country was gradually decreasing, said an official of International Labour Organization (ILO) here Friday. Talking to media he said the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) and ILO were extensively working on a coordinated plan for the well-being of children. He said the policy change, introduction of legislation and its implementation and economic well-being of the families of the working children were areas of focus to achieve the desired goals. The ILO and MoHR have jointly conducted number of training sessions to end child labour, he informed. The official said the data collected after certain measures revealed that number of children working as rag pickers has decreased which indicated improvement. No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed or permitted to work at any brick kiln, he added. The government, he said, would notify District Vigilance Committees (DVC) for every district within 30 days in accordance with the Section 15 of the Punjab Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1992. “No industrial, commercial or agricultural establishment, factory and workshop, trade, industry or other place where any economic activity is being carried shall employ or permit a child below 15 years to work as mandated by the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act, 2016,” he warned.