New Delhi: Bihar has come in for praise from the Centre over its model of repatriation of migrant and child labourers.

The state, which has been generally in the news for the wrong reasons, has been hailed by the Government for the model it has evolved for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of migrant and child labourers.

And, this is not the full story. The Centre has even asked other states like Maharashtra and West Bengal to emulate the same.

Union Labour Secretary Sudha Pillai at a consultation meeting on rehabilitation of migrant and trafficked child labourers, "highly praised" the process of coordination between Bihar and Delhi.

At the meeting with National Commission on Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Resident Commissioners, she suggested that other states like Maharastra and West Bengal to emulate the same, a Bihar government press release today said.

It said some NGOs working for the welfare of children like Bachapan Bachao Andolan and Bandhua Mukti Morcha reported cases related to bonded or other child labour to the Labour Department of Delhi Government, which in turn got them released from the clutches of inhuman local businessmen.

If the rescued children belonged to Bihar, they informed the Resident Commissioner to make necessary arrangements for their repatriation, it said.

Omar described his grandfather as the "tallest leader" of the state and no one had a funeral on the scale of Sheikh Abdullah' in 1982.

On the common refrain that politicians have let the people down, he said others were equally responsible. "Politicians have let Kashmiris down - sure we have. But what of the engineers and officials who were hand in glove with us? What of those trusted individuals who on a meagre salary have built palaces and sent their children to the choicest colleges paying hundreds of thousands of rupees?" he said.

"Do they bear no responsibility for the suffering of the people? As a politician I have let the people of my state down but I had a lot of willing and able supporters along the way. I am a hypocrite because I draw my salary from the Parliament but I'l live with it because its better than living as a mute spectator," Omar said.

At the meeting, the Joint Labour Commissioner, Bihar suggested that the state from where child labourer is rescued must promptly recover Rs. 20,000 per child as a fine from the offending employers and this amount must be transferred to the state to which child labour belongs.

The money can be utilised for rehabilitation of the rescued child.

The release said the suggestion has been accepted and it was now under implementation.

In this scheme, Bihar Government also contributes a sum of Rs 5,000 from its own fund.

Source : PTI