BUDGAM, May 01: The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) of Budgam and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Budgam conducted a child labour drive in the Chadoora and Charar-I-Sharief areas on Labour Day.
During this drive, 20 children who were working as labourers in various shops were found and rescued by the CWC Budgam and DCPU Budgam on Monday.
Afshan Paul, Chairperson of the Children Welfare Committee (CWC) Budgam, told the Rising Kashmir that the CWC Budgam and District Child Protection Unit Budgam have started a campaign against child labour in the Chadoora and Char-i-Sharief areas, raiding all the industries, including workshops for vehicle aids, restaurants, baby shops, saw mills, etc., and rescued about 20 children on the spot.
During this drive, on-the-spot counselling was done by the counsellor from the DCPU Budgam. Afshan said “we have decided to tour major areas of Budgam district with the preponderance of child labour to ensure no child is being misused in this way”. The drive went fruitful, thereby making the owners of these industries accountable and bringing production before the Committee.
“Child labour is a punishable offence, and no child must go through such adversity as this,” she said.
“We have also asked the owners of the shopkeepers to come to the Child Welfare Committee office in Budgam. We are also going to provide further counselling to these children. So such child labour activities will get stopped across the Budgam district,” she said.
This drive was carried under the leadership of the Chairperson CWC Budgam , District Child Protection Officer Budgam Dr. Farhana Asger along with the CWC members, counsellors, social workers, DCPU staff, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit DPL Budgam, the Juvenile Police Unit DPL Budgam, the Police Stations Chadoora, and Charar-I-Sharief.
