The government is preparing to significantly increase the penalties imposed on those found guilty of employing child labour by raising the maximum fine from the current Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000, under proposed amendments to existing labour laws.
The proposal has been presented by the Minister of Labour through amendments to the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act.
The relevant draft Bill has already been tabled in Parliament and published in the Government Gazette.
Under the proposed amendments, any person found guilty by a court of law of employing a child in a public or private industrial establishment will be liable to a fine of up to Rs. 100,000, replacing the current maximum penalty of Rs. 10,000.
The draft legislation also proposes stricter penalties for employing persons under the age of 18 in violation of the law.
Accordingly, offenders may face a fine of up to Rs. 100,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both, upon conviction.
The proposed amendments further empower courts to impose both a fine and a term of imprisonment in appropriate cases, depending on the nature and seriousness of the offence.
The government says the proposed reforms are aimed at strengthening legal protections for children, enhancing enforcement against child labour, and bringing the country’s labour laws more in line with modern child protection standards.
The draft Bill will now be taken up for parliamentary debate and consideration before any amendments become law.
