The World Child Labor Prohibition Day has been observed in the District Community Hall at Khadial Block under the auspices of the District Legal Services Authority and the District Labor Department. On this occasion, a procession started from Block Street and continued till Thana Street with slogans on prohibition of child labour. It was launched by the authority’s secretary and senior civil judge and taluk law service committee, Khadiyal chairperson Isha Pati, Khadiyal notified area council executive officer Swatchandan Ketan Maharana, labor officer and others. Apart from this, an awareness camp has been held regarding the Prevention of Child Labor Act, Asha Yojana of the National Legal Services Authority and the important judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Seva v. Union of India (2024). First of all, Mr. Umi Daniel, a nationally and internationally renowned expert on labor and labor movement and former director of Aide et Action International, joined the virtual media and gave his speech. District Legal Service Authority Secretary Navnita Das, Nupada Divisional Labor Officer Ravindra Barla, District Labor Officer Nupada Jasmin Sahu, Khadial Block Chairperson Puspanjali Nand, Assistant Labor Officers Nikhil Aggarwal and Muralidhar Pakal, Former Child Welfare Committee Chairman Fanindam Singh Deo, Child Welfare Committee Member Gangadhar Panigrahi, Women and Children Working in the Department Ranjan Kumar Sahu, District Coordinator of Helpline, Surendra Chhatri of IJM and Shram Bahini, volunteers, students and rights friends of the authority joined in the main and expressed the opinion that now it is the duty of citizens to eradicate child labor through awareness. On this occasion, the Secretary of the Authority Navnita Das highlighted the role of the District Legal Services Authority in the prevention of child labor and the various free legal services provided to children and called upon children not to be deprived of their right to education by employing them in hazardous work. Rabindra Barla, Divisional Labor Commissioner, Nupada, discussed the rescue and rehabilitation of child laborers employed illegally in various workplaces under the Child Labor Prevention Act. Alokha Tiwari, President of the Khadiya Bar Association, discussed Seva v Bharat Union (2024) under Asha Yojana.
Bishwanath Samal reports from Nuapada