Uttar Pradesh accused of misusing Government’s employment scheme

MORADABAD - Misusing central government sponsored scheme for rural employment, authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad city have asked children to work instead of job cardholders.

Authorities in Kundrika village have asked the job cardholders to stay away and instead hired children of impoverished families for the development of a new pond, through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NAREGA).

Job cardholders complain that they have also not received the full payment and the authorities are violating the rules framed by the government.

“Their are some people who are working at the site and they don’t even have the job card and we people who have the job card, authorities have asked us not to come on work and there are so many children who are working like this,” said Ramdeen, a labour Children are made to work on the wage of rupees 20 per day.

Meanwhile, Labour commissioner said that he would investigate the issue.”Labour department will investigate and if we find that children below 14 years of age are working then there is a civil liability of rupees 20000 which the authorities have to pay and we will file the prosecution,” said Mahaveer, Commissioner of Labour Department, Moradabad

Over 12 million children below the age of 14 are working as domestic servants, or in other jobs, such as in stone quarries, embroidery units, mines, carpet-weaving units, tea stalls, restaurants and hotels, according to government data.

A law prohibiting employing children in homes and in the hospitality industry came into effect in October 2006. However, there have only been 1,680 prosecutions and not a single conviction. (ANI)