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Money for child welfare misappropriated

PATNA — After recent reports suggesting misappropriation of money meant for rehabilitation of child labourers, the Bihar government announced to launch a new plan to address the issue.

Announcing the new plan, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said, “Under the action plan, specific steps for schooling, motivation, awareness and stringent enforcement of law will be taken for release and rehabilitation of child labourers.”

Expressing dissatisfaction over the manner in which the centrally-sponsored National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme, meant for setting up special schools for the rescued child labourers, was being executed in the state, Modi asked the Centre to send the money allocated for the scheme to the state government instead of directly sending it to the districts.

The state government should be given the authority to formulate its own schemes, he said.

According to sources, the Centre transferred about Rs 37 crore to Bihar since 2004-05 for running NCLP special schools in 24 districts for rehabilitation of rescued child labourers. However, facts show that all this money has not benefitted even a single child in terms of full and final rehabilitation.

According to Census 2001 figure, there are more than 11 lakh child labourers in the state.

- AGENCIES

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