In a 2015 report titled Rock Bottom, ICN had said that minors accounted for almost 10 per cent of the total workforce in six quarries in Raichur district of Karnataka.
No granite quarries in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are indulging in slavery and child labour in an unsafe work environment, according to a fact-finding mission set up by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The observations of the mission contrast the findings by a Netherlands-based organisation – the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN). It has claimed that all the processes of the granite industry were found to be completely mechanized, and therefore, there was no scope for manual labour or child labour.
In a 2015 report titled Rock Bottom, ICN had said that minors accounted for almost 10 per cent of the total workforce in six quarries in Raichur district of Karnataka.
The mines were located far from villages and there was no evidence of children being employed there, said the mission.
"The main objective of the fact-finding visit was to examine these quarries first hand and to verify if children are involved as child labour in the granite industry. Around 206 children groups, 143 Anganwadi Centres, 204 teachers and 236 community members were covered," said Priyank Kanoongo, a member of NCPCR.
According to experts, there is a need for interventions by the local government, civil society or social agencies with the communities, especially with the adolescents and the families for the issues like education, life skills, skill development, vocational training and the job placements of the adolescents and young adults.
"The agencies can explore to create a convergent platform for the adolescents and young adults involving the government programmes, CSR, civil society organizations. There is no scope for child labour; however some children (13+ age) are not regularly attending the schools.
"This situation has to be improved with the help of SMCs, Panchayats and NGOs who are willing to work in engagement of children in education, vocational training and other issues," said Sunil R Zode, chairman, Indian Chamber of Commerce for Affirmative Action.
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