June 28, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 27: Dist-rict Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has expressed scepticism over the success of an International Labour Organisa-tion project aimed at eliminating child labour in the country by the year 2,010.

He was talking to ILO consultant for National Rural Support Programme Dr Sara Termizi and project manager Nazar Hussain Joyo at his office.

Mr Jamil pointed out that practically no results had been achieved during the last two and a half years. Giving an example, he said that the workers of bangle industry faced acute financial crisis which had forced them to engage their children in work. He added that although the children attended non-formal education centres in the morning but they were obliged to work in the evening to supplement the income of their families.

He said that if the ILO was serious in the success of its project, it would have to establish a special fund for this purpose and provide financial help to the parents and scholarship to the students.

No law existed on the statute books to compel the parents not to send their children for work, Mr Jamil pointed out.

He said that bangle and carpet industries fell in the jurisdiction of commerce and industry departments and the district government had no authority to stop child labour in those industries.

He said that it was earnest desire of the district government that the centres opened by the ILO should succeed but only the economist of the organisation could make viable recommendations to ensure success of the centres.