Hyderabad, Oct. 5: The International Labour Organisation AP unit will involve NGOs working in diverse fields in its quest to eliminate child labour in the State.

Hitherto, only specific NGOs working in the field of elimination of child labour were involved in the task, but henceforth NGOs working in other sectors such as human rights organisations, Rotary and Lions Clubs, youth groups, women’s groups and religious groups will also be closely involved in combating the menace.

A decision to this effect was arrived at during a two-day ILO workshop involving 54 various organisations. Briefing newsmen, ILO project manager M P Joseph said the need for networking the civil society organisations on child labour had become essential as it would help discuss and suggest different approaches to tackle the problem.

Participants in the workshop were of the view that the efforts to eliminate child labour should cover certain areas in Adilabad, Khammam, Krishna and Mahbubnagar district.

Project officer Srinivas Reddy and S Nirmala of the Centre for Public Policy Studies said a strategy was being evolved to target domestic child workers, sex workers, migrant children and tribal child workers.

He disclosed that a special drive would be launched in the twin cities to tackle child labour employed in hotels, automobile workshops and other small industries.

While 90 per cent of the child labour force is in the rural area, about 10 per cent are accounted in the urban areas of which Hyderabad accounts a major chunk, he said.