June 08, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1428

MUZAFFARGARH, June 7: Civil society has launched an initiative to politically strengthen brick kiln workers in Muzaffargarh as Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and enrolment in voters list will be arranged for them.

This was said by Society for the Protection of Rights of Children (SPARC) national coordinator on bonded labour Iqbal Ditho on Wednesday at a consultation meeting on the role of stakeholders in eradication of bonded labour from brick kilns and other non-formal and formal sectors in Muzaffargarh.

The meeting was arranged by SPARC in collaboration with the Muzaffargah child rights committee.

District Nazim Qayyum Jatoi presided over the meeting which was attended by civil society representatives, newsmen, social workers and brick kiln workers.

Mr Ditho said brick kiln workers should be integrated in the political mainstream by creating awareness among them about their rights.

He said SPARC had helped 300 brick kiln workers to get their CNICs. After getting computerised cards, kiln workers could have bank accounts, get micro-credit and assistance from zakat councils and Baitul Maal committees. They could also get themselves registered as voters, he said.

There are 119 registered brick kilns in Muzaffargarh while the number of unregistered ones is double.

Speaking on the occasion, district officer (labour) Syed Masroor Shah said death grant and marriage grant for a kiln worker were Rs200,000 and Rs50,000, respectively, but no kiln owner had ever approached him to claim grant for his employees.

He said kiln owners did not cooperate with his department and whenever officials raided their establishment, they used to hide the attendance register. He said mostly kiln owners were engaged in bonded labour.

SPARC has announced organising two consultations in the district every year.

Nazim Qayyum Jatoi said he would fully cooperate with civil society to eradicate bonded labour from the district.