PM Bhattarai says govt sensitive over child rights; says child labour in Nepal is ‘bitter reality’

Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has urged all the government entities to bring the policy-based reform regarding the child rights and bring them into practice.

According to state-owned news agency RSS, addressing a programme organised by the Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN) in the capital on Tuesday, the Prime Minister urged all ministries to keep the national policy-2069 BS regarding the child rights in their work plan.

Prime Minister said the current government was sensitive over the child rights and expressed hope that the organisations that have worked and have long experience in this sector would support the government for the protection and promotion of the child rights.

The children's access to education has increased and admission ratio in the primary level has reached some 95.1 per cent, but it is the matter of concern that still there are five percent children deprived of this facility. There are challenges to face in the education, he said.

Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai further said that the children are not provided with qualitative health and added, "The child labour in the country has been the bitter reality. The suppression and mistreatments of the children still go unabated."

Dr Bhattarai said that the government has amended the 10-year work plan on child rights and is planning to chalk out a master plan on child labour reduction. He said, "Work plan for rehabilitation of conflict hit children is being prepared.”

Children-friendly local governance, national policy and procedures for its implementation and schools as zone of peace and other policies have been prepared, he informed. nepalnews.com