Banke home to 3000 child labors, over 50 of them as Kamlaris

KATHMANDU: Though Banke district was announced as a child-labor free district five years ago, report has shown that the district presently has around 3 thousand child labors.

On November 20, 2007 district child welfare committee and variou children welfare organizations in the district had announced Banke as child labor free district.

Stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction with organizations for their lack to respond to the growing numbers of child labors and have even questioned their strategy to tackle with such issue.

A study conducted and reported by the National News Service Agency, has revealed of these estimates 9 percent of these child labors are below 5 years of age, 60 percent of them of 10-14 years of age and 35 percent of them 14-17 years of age.

Adding to it, the study has also claimed that above of these children are serving masters of their parents as domestic labor under the Kamalari Partha. The government has long claimed that it has abolished the Kamalari Partha (bondage labor that is passed from generation to generation of the laborers by the landlord).