Children working in hotels

Legislative measures failed to prohibit employment of children in hotels in Amravati. It includes particularly The Bombay Shops and Establishments Act 1948 and the Maharashtra State Shops and Establishments Rule 1961. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1956 with recent amendment dated October 10, 2006. An inadequate and incompetent law enforcing machinery and absence of proper and timely co-operation and co-ordination in between the concerned agencies could not prohibit working of children in hotels in Amravati single handedly. In view of working children, the households are more interested in employment of child even though the family livelihood does not depend on child earning. In some cases children themselves are curious in seeking employment in hotels at their own at the cost of childhood. The children found working in hotels in Amravati with the support of households and/or their own choice. The hoteliers and customers felt that working of children in hotels in Amravati is less in economic and more in social, cultural and psychological nature. The study suggested strict and stringent enforcement of respective legal measures together with adequate enforcing machinery coupled with proper implementation of free and compulsory primary education in Amravati, so that no child will be at workplace.