Ranchi: As many as 362 child labourers have been rescued across the state over the last three years, with legal proceedings initiated against 262 employers, according to govt data.In 2023-24, as many as 122 children were rescued, followed by 153 in 2024-25 and 87 during 2025-26.To institutionalise these efforts, the state is gearing up to introduce a comprehensive policy blueprint. Jitendra Kumar Singh, secretary of labour, employment, training and skill development department, said, “We are in the process of drafting a five-year plan aimed at eradicating child labour. The draft is currently in its final stages and will be forwarded to the cabinet approval once completed.”In a bid to bolster immediate rehabilitation efforts, the state govt has allocated a dedicated corpus of Rs 10 lakh to every district specifically for the welfare and reintegration of rescued children.The state has also penalised offenders to compensate victims. Over the three-year period, 182 rescued children were awarded a compensation of Rs 20,000 each, directly recovered from their respective employers, amounting to total collections of Rs 36,40,000.Furthermore, the department has initiated formal certificate proceedings involving 70 children to reclaim an additional Rs 17,00,000 from defaulting employers. To date, a total of Rs 1,41,433 has been disbursed to the victims.Alongside financial restitution, the state has prioritised mainstream education. A total of 178 rescued children were successfully enrolled into nearby schools, while an additional 160 rescued from other states were integrated into the educational framework.Additional labour commissioner Pradeep Robert Lakra said, “District task forces are actively functioning in every district to conduct regular raids and rescue children from exploitative environments. Routine awareness drives are being organised at the grassroots level to educate the public on the legal ramifications of child labour.”Civil society members and child rights activists said that despite these measures, the reality remains challenging. Sanjay Mishra, a social activist, said, “Child labour and human trafficking have been deeply entrenched issues in Jharkhand for ages. We are hopeful that the five-year plan will provide the necessary teeth to permanently rid the state of these twin menace.”Another activist, Baidnath Kumar, pointed out that the informal sector continues to slip through the cracks. “A significant number of child labourers are still covertly employed inside households and small commercial establishments, while interstate migration for work continues unabated. The administration needs to devise a much more stringent, proactive strategy to safeguard vulnerable children,” he said.
