Cochin, Oct 12 : Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has stressed on the need to eliminate child labour, a social evil still widely prevalent in the country.

Inaugurating the 29th national conference and plenary of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) here on Sunday, Kharge said that the labour law has been extended to 271 districts having high concentration of child labour.

"In prevalence of government''s commitment to eliminate child labour in hazardous areas, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme has been extended to cover 271 districts and about 5.21 lakh children from special schools of NCLP''s have been mainstreamed into the formal education system," he added.

The NCLP Scheme was launched in 1988. The scheme envisages running of special schools for child labour withdrawn from work.

Under NCLP the children are provided formal/non-formal education along with vocational training and a stipend of 100 rupee per month.

More than 12 million children below the age of 14 are working as domestic servants or other jobs such as in stone quarries, embroidery units, mining, carpet-weaving, tea stalls, restaurants and hotels, according to government data.

India has imposed a ban on child labour, but activists say not a single conviction has come to light for almost three years after the law came into effect. (ANI)