SCPCR on mission to make city child labour-free zone

LUCKNOW: The issues of child beggary and child labour will now be documented and analysed so as to devise ways to drive out this social evil from the society.

The first-of-its-kind initiative that involves law students, has been taken up by the UP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR). A database of children working on streets, at railway stations and those working as vendors in makeshift stalls, would be created.

“Our data will have every possible information about these children who are seen wiping windscreens of cars, selling balloons or chasing people at picnic spots for little money,” said Nahid Lari Khan, member of the commission and the brain behind the initiative.

Once the pilot project to document life of child beggars and labourers comes up with a concrete solution for them (children) the same shall be implemented in other districts of Uttar Pradesh. The project will be formally launched on July 4 at a function to be held at UP Paryatan Bhavan.

For documentation, intern- ship will be awarded to students of different law colleges who will work on the causes and solution for 25 days starting from July 6 in their respective areas and then submit a report.

“Children are seen begging or working in several areas including Aliganj, Hazratganj, Chowk, Charbagh, Alambagh and also on railway platforms,” said Nahid.

The interns will click pictures, take videos and fill up questionnaires on the basis of interaction with kids on street and their parents or gang leaders. All aspects of their lives will be included in the report so that a concrete solution is worked out.

“We shall also be in touch with the interns through skype so as to guide them whenever needed and also monitor their progress in the project which has to be accurate to ensure we do the right thing for the children,” added Nahid.

She said, “We also wish to find out whether there are more male or female children to assess their vulnerability to abuses.”

Each intern will compile a separate report on the basis of their work and the best report will be awarded in a function to be organised by the commission. The interns will also be paid for their individual work.

In all, 108 interns have been selected. One group will work on child beggary and child labour in Lucknow while the other will work on other issues in 17 other districts of the state.