- As per information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, money accumulated towards children rescued from workplace in the Child Labour Corpus Fund in Mysore has not been spent in the last 8 yrs.
- As per the Supreme Court’s direction in the M.C. Mehta vs Government of Tamil Nadu case in 1996, the corpus fund was established in the name of Deputy Commissioners in every district.
- Funds are accumulated from the fine amount levied on erring employers plus Rs. 5000 from the State govt towards each child’s case.
- The Deputy Commissioner is the only signatory of this account. Based on SC’s directives, the State govts had issued circular to the DCs to use the funds for education, welfare and follow-up of rescued children.
- For the release of funds, the children must have been rescued from hazardous employment and should be of school-going age and are to be deposited in high-yielding interest account in order to benefit the children.
- However officials never bother about child labour except during celebrations of International Day against Child Labour on June 12 every year.
- Between 2004 and 2014, 48 cases of child labour were filed by Dept of Labour in Mysore district, out of which 23 employers were fined. In 24 cases employers were released while one is still in court.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/child-labour-corpus-fund-lying-unused-in-mysore-district/article6099764.ece
Exams Perspective:
- Child Labour
- M.C. Mehta vs Government of Tamil Nadu case
- Child Labour Corpus Fund
- Right to Information (RTI) Act
- Article 24