VZCZCXRO5122
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHCI #0555 3481447
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 141447Z DEC 06
FM AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1305
INFO RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0474
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0472
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1610

UNCLAS CALCUTTA 000555 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP - GPATEL, MTAYLOR, JSIGMAN; SCA/INS FOR SGANDHI, 
SCA/RA FOR LLEE.  DEPT PLEASE PASS DEPT OF LABOR RPHILLIPS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB KWMN SOCI KCRM PHUM PREL IN
SUBJECT: WEST BENGAL LABOR SECRETARY PROVIDES CHILD LABOR STATUS 
REPORT 
 
REF: CALCUTTA 0462 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: On December 1, Government of West Bengal 
(GOWB) Labor Secretary Subesh Das met with Poloffs to discuss 
child labor and the state government's efforts to implement the 
national child labor ban enacted on October 10.  Das recognized 
that implementation has been slow, but argued that enforcement 
alone would only compound the problem as many child laborers 
provide crucial financial support to their families.  Das said 
that the GOWB is focused on yet-to-be-undertaken surveys to 
identify different socioeconomic categories of child laborers 
and provide an appropriate alternative for each.  Based on Das' 
comments, the GOWB appears to lack the resources and drive to 
tackle child labor head on.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On December 1, West Bengal Labor Secretary Subesh Das 
met with Poloffs and provided an overview of the state 
government's efforts to combat child labor.  Das denied press 
reports that children were among those killed during a fire at a 
Kolkata factory on November 22, but he admitted that 
implementation of the October 10 law banning the employment of 
children under 14 in certain hazardous industries had been 
proceeding slowly.  He said enforcement of the law alone, 
without providing alternative sources of income for child 
laborers and their families, would only exacerbate the problem. 
He argued that there are different categories of child laborers 
and each category warrants a different socioeconomic response. 
In cases involving children from households where parents are 
sick and unable to work, Das felt the solution was for the 
government to provide financial assistance to the child's 
family.  In cases involving children from families where the 
parents are under-employed and do not earn enough money to meet 
their basic needs, the government needs to provide better jobs 
to the parents.  Finally, in cases involving children from homes 
where they are neglected by their parents, the government needs 
to send these children to safe, group homes.  Currently 700 to 
800 children are sent to homes each month, but the government 
does not have the capacity to accommodate every qualifying 
child, and NGOs need to cover the gap.  Das said West Bengal is 
trying to conduct a survey to identify the number of child 
laborers in each category (reftel).  He wants NGOs such as 
UNICEF to lead the survey so it remains objective. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On enforcement, Das said that the government ensures 
there is no child labor in registered factories, but the problem 
is that many factories operate illegally and are not registered 
with the government.  Moreover, offenders may face up to six 
months imprisonment and a 20,000 rupee fine, but the judicial 
process often takes more than two years. (Note: 1 dollar = 
approximately 45 rupees.  End note.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Das said most child laborers in West Bengal work in 
agriculture in rural areas. Of West Bengal's approximately 
800,000 child laborers, only 30,000 to 40,000 work in Kolkata. 
Many child labors are migrating from the poorer neighboring 
states of Jharkhand and Bihar, as well as from Bangladesh.  When 
asked about government efforts to stop child labor at the 
source, Das said that the government is planning programs to 
sensitize local politicians, target particular districts of 
concern, and alert panchayat (village council) members and 
employment agencies to the problem. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  Two months after the enactment of the latest 
child labor law, the GOWB has yet to take concrete steps to 
tackle the problem. The GOWB's focus on providing alternative 
incomes and homes for child laborers and their families is a 
positive sign, but it will require improved coordination with 
the NGO community and given cultural attitudes and the lack of 
state and NGO resources, an effective response is unlikely. 
 
JARDINE