Bangalore: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday showed his concern on enacting legislation on the lines of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 in the state. Expressing failure of the act in the state, CM said, “In order to achieve this, the laws need more teeth. While we will urge the Centre to amend the 1986 Act, I will also direct our officials to see if a similar legislation can be enacted by Karnataka.”
On the occasion of World Day against child labour, Siddaramaiah said, “We swear that we will not only discourage child labour but also take an active part in eliminating it. I want all of us here to stick by this oath.”
Labour minister Parameshwar Naik said 19,038 cases against child labour have been filed in various courts since 2001. A fine of Rs 83, 43,605 has been levied in 1,359 cases.