Child labourThe state government of Maharashtra has decided to file cases against producers of eight television serials, who hired child actors for their soap operas. The mahurat for initiating these actions has been slated for Friday that’s today, the International Anti-Child Labour Day.

“We are going to file cases against the channels in the metropolitan courts. We want the channels and their producers to face the heat for exploiting child artistes,” said a labour department official.In December, the labour department had sent showcause notices to these producers under the Child Labour Act, seeking to know how many hours the child artistes worked and under what conditions. “None of them responded to our notices. That is why we have decided to prosecute them. There could be no better time than the Anti-Child Labour Day to take up cudgels for this noble cause,” said labour minister Nawab Malik.

The producers of the serials of Chotte Ustad, Balika Vadhu, Jai Krishna and Utaran (all aired on Colors), Chak De Bachche (9X), Chotta Package Bada Dhamaka and Mayka (aired on Zee), Baap Bahu Aur Baby (aired on Star Plus) and Jasubhen Jayantilal Ki Joint Family (aired on NDTV imagine) are the once who are slapped with the notice from child labour council.

Vikas Verma, head of content, 9X, said  “We take every protective measure whenever we are dealing with a child artiste. We keep a psychiatrist and his/her parents on the sets. We are doing everything just the way it is to be done. I am sure the other channels too are doing the same.”We tried to contact Rajesh Kamat, CEO of Colors, but he was not available.

The Child Labour act of India states: No Child below the age of 14 should be employed in hazardous work environments.

HOURS AND PERIOD OF WORK:

No child shall be required or permitted to work in any establishment in excess of number of hours prescribed. In Kerala the working hours in limited to four and half hours in a day. The period of work on each day shall not exceed three hours and no child shall work for more than three hours before he has had an interval for rest forat least one hour. No child shall be permitted or required to work between 7P.m. and 8 a.m. No child shall be required or permitted to work overtime.

WEEKLY HOLIDAY:
Every child shall be allowed in each week a holiday of one whole day.

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