On the occasion of the sixth World Day against Child Labour, the government announced on Tuesday its plans to expand the National Child Labour Project across the country during the 11th Plan.
The scheme, under which children withdrawn from work are sent to special schools, is at present operational in 250 child labour endemic districts in 20 states, labour ministry sources said.
They said 7,328 special schools were functioning for over 4.20 lakh children withdrawn from work in these districts.
The special schools, where children withdrawn from work are kept for a maximum period of three years to prepare them to join the regular education system, provide education, vocational
Since the NCLP scheme became operational in 1988, nearly 400,000 children have been mainstreamed into formal education system, they said.
During the 10th Plan, the budget allocation for the scheme was more than doubled -- from Rs 249.60 crore (Rs 2.49 billion) in the 9th Plan to Rs 602 crore (Rs 6.02 billion) during the 10th Plan -- and subsequently the NCLP projects were enhanced from 150 to 250 districts.
Sources also said that besides the NCLP Scheme, the Government was implementing the scheme of grants-in-aid to voluntary organisations for the benefit of children withdrawn from work in the districts which are not covered by NCLP Scheme.
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