Panaji: Following reports of recent deaths of children at construction sites in the state, a non-government organization has brought this to the notice of the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and has asked the commission to direct the chief secretary to file a status report on the unnatural deaths.
Sahas, an NGO working for the elimination of discrimination in society, asked the commission to direct the secretary labour, government of Goa and the secretary, department of women and child, to develop a joint strategy and time-bound implementation plan in consultation with NGOs working in the field of mobile creches to ensure that children at construction sites are provided with necessary care and protection as required under the convention of child rights.
The commission has also been requested to ensure free mobile creche facilities at all construction sites and to ensure that the children are provided with nutrition and covered under the Integrated Child Development programme with immediate effect, reported The Times of India.
The letter by Vasudha Sawaiker of Sahas has also requested the commission to direct all anganwadi workers and helpers in urban areas to survey construction sites, check for unattended children, and connect them with the nearest facility for anganwadi or creche facility.
Recently, the five-year-old son of a labourer working at a construction site in Pilerne died after drowning in a soakpit.
Yet another case was that of a three-year-old boy who drowned in Dudhsagar river. A native of West Bengal, the boy’s father was working on an irrigation project.