Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Rights of Women and Children
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the total strength. The results of mainstreaming have shown improvement after the last review
of schools by the Special Rapporteur in Jalandhar. However, vocational training is still not
receiving adequate attention. Health care aspect is also weak. Supplementary Nutrition
Programme is being run excellently. D.C Amritsar was requested to restart 15 schools closed
by his predecessor pending inquiry into complaints made against the NGOs which were
running these schools regarding their management. These could be properly entrusted
to selected NGOs, as the District is still holding a large number of actual potential
child labourers.
Bihar
8.54 The evil of child labour is rampant in Bihar with children found engaged in both
hazardous and non-hazardous occupations/processes. Jamui, Nalanda, Saharsa and Nawada
have been identified as Child Labour Prone Districts. Bihar also enjoys the dubious distinction
of supplying migrant child bonded labourers to the Carpet industry in UP and Zari industry
in Maharashtra. Araria, Khagaria, Saharsa, Supor, Darbhanga, Katihar and Madhubani have
been identified as Districts where middlemen lure the poor parents to send their children
against petty advances to work at places outside the State.
8.55 There has been no detection of child labour in Bihar after the survey of 1996-97
ordered by the Supreme Court on 10.12.96 which had resulted in identification of 21,281
children working in hazardous occupations/processes. While 7.8% of the children withdrawn
from work were admitted to formal and non-formal schools and 11,265 affected families
were provided some kind of rehabilitatory relief, only a nominal amount of Rs. 80,000 out
of a total recoverable amount of Rs. 42,56,20,000 (.02%) has been realized from the offending
employers. Prosecution has been totally ignored. There has been no systematic survey after
1997 and no detection of child labour in the State.
8.56 National Child Labour Project is in operation in 3 Districts of Bihar namely Saharasa,
Nalanda and Jamui. A total of 105 schools with sanctioned capacity of 6500 students are
being run. The schools are running to full capacity. While the NGOs have been associated
fully in Jamui and partially in Nalanda, the schools in Saharasa are being run by the Project
Society. The review revealed delay in disbursement of stipends to children. Components of
Vocational Training and Health Care are not receiving proper attention. The operation of
supplementary nutrition programme needs to be physically verified.
Jharkhand
8.57 A total of 3570 children were detected in hazardous occupations as a result of the survey
of 1996-97 in some districts of Bihar which now fall in Jharkhand. The quality and utility of the
survey can be assessed from the fact that 3179 out of a total of 3356 cases reported from 4 major
districts namely Hazaribagh, Garhwa, Pakur and Deoghar were later dropped because of legal
flaws. The follow-up action in terms of educational rehabilitation of detected children, economic
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