British Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn Monday launched a child labour project that seeks to bring 396,000 child labourers to school and eliminate the social evil in Andhra Pradesh.
his was the second phase of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) project on child labour in the state.
The $8.93 million project is being co-funded for the first time by any state government in India. While half the fund, $4.49 million is from the Department for International Development (DFID) of Britain, the rest is from the Andhra Pradesh government.
"We are proud to be playing a part alongside you in a partnership, so that we can look forward to a day in Andhra Pradesh across India across the globe where every child will have a chance to childhood, chance to go to school and no child will be forced to work," Benn said launching the project along with state Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The project will be implemented by the ILO in collaboration with NGOs and civil society organizations over the next three years.
Herman va der Lann, director, ILO, who signed the MoU, with DFID and the Andhra Pradesh government for the second phase of the project, said the results of their efforts at the national and state level were encouraging.
"In phase two we will reinforce efforts to bring all partners together in the fight against child labour and provide schooling to all the children of Andhra Pradesh," he said.
In the first phase of the project, implemented from 2000 to March 2004, 235,000 children were taken out of child labour and sent to various schools, including bridge schools, specially set up for them.
According to the 2001 census, Andhra Pradesh has 1.36 million child labourers.
Rajashekhara Reddy said the state government has set the target of completely eliminating child labour in the state in the next five years.
--Indo-Asian News Service