Child labour must be abolished.

Virajpet, June 25: Child labour is a crime that robs a child of his future. According to Article 24 of the Constitution, engaging children below the age of 14 in factories, mines or hazardous employment should be completely banned, said Judge S. Nataraj, 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the Taluk Legal Services Authority.

Speaking after inaugurating the legal awareness programme organized as part of the World Day Against Child Labour at the Government Model Primary School in Virajpet under the joint auspices of the Taluk Legal Services Authority, Labour Department, District Child Labour Scheme Society, Women and Child Development Department, School Education and Literacy Department, Police Department and Bar Association, he said that it is very important to create awareness among the public and children about the Child and Adolescent Labour Acts. He called on everyone to join hands to completely prevent child labor with the motto of “Fair play for children, decent work for adults”. 

In the program, Senior Civil Judge of Virajpet Manjunath administered the oath against child labor to the students.

Principal Civil Judge and Member Secretary of Taluk Legal Services Authority Vishwanath A. presided over the program and said that a child should have a book in his hand, and parents who send children to work are also punishable according to the law. Education is the only way to build a child labor-free India. Let us send every child to school and save their childhood. He said that free legal aid and compensation will be provided by the District Legal Services Authority for the rehabilitation of child laborers.

As the chief guest, President of the Bar Association C.K. Poovanna spoke and gave a benediction to the students, saying that anything can be achieved through education. He advised them to study hard.

Senior Labour Inspector M.A. Yathnatti said that the District Child Labour Scheme Society has been established in the district with the ambition of making Kodagu district a child labour free district. Accordingly, 1,026 inspections have been carried out in Virajpet and Ponnampet taluks since 2017 and 20 child labourers and 16 juvenile labourers have been found, out of which 25 children have been rehabilitated in government children's homes through the Child Welfare Committee and the remaining 11 children have been handed over to the custody of their parents.

Currently, in the year 2025-26, 119 inspections have been carried out so far and 1 child labourer and 5 juvenile labourers have been found, and a case has been filed in the JMFC court. And 17 special legal awareness programmes have been organized in the year 2025-26. Till the current month of 2026-27, 1 child laborer and 5 juvenile laborers have been found in 3 institutions and a case has been filed in the JMFC court against the guilty owners. He informed.

Virajpet Labor Inspector M.C. Madappa, speaking, said that as declared by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2002, all the member countries of the United Nations celebrate June 12 every year as World Day Against Child Labor. The Karnataka government has organized a program at the district level under the leadership of the District Collectors in every district of the state to mark World Day Against Child Labor. Special task force teams have been formed at the taluk level and inspections are being carried out in shops, hotels, garages, stone quarries, quarries, gardens, houses and various commercial establishments in the taluk, and awareness is being created among the people for the elimination of child labor through special awareness programs and workshops, he said.

Field Resource Coordinator Mahesh K.P., Child Project Development Officer Rita, Headmistress of Government Model School P.D. Annamamma, Project Director of District Child Labor Project Society R. Shiraz Ahmed, teachers Vamana, Divya, were present on the stage. The program, which began with a prayer and national song by school students, provided information about various aspects of the Child Labor Act to officials and lawyers.

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