Ahilyanagar: The Saundala village in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district has come up with a unique initiative to prevent child labour, incidents of verbal abuse and mobile addiction in children.
Now onwards, fines will be imposed if anyone is found indulging in verbal abuse, a school student is caught using mobile phone at home and anyone engages a child labourer.
A resolution in this regard was passed by the Saundala Gram Panchayat in Ahilyanagar and the new directives have come into force from today. In order to inform residents, banners have been put up across the village. This apart, CCTVs have been set up at various places of the village to capture the abusers on camera.
In the recent Gram Sabha held in Saundala village in Nevasa taluka, people of the village as well as outsiders have been warned against verbal abuse. It has been decided that a fine of Rs 500 will be imposed on people who abuse others, including their mothers and sisters.
As it has been observed that mobile addiction is taking a toll on the academics of school students, the Gram Panchayat has asked parents not to allow their children to use mobile phones. It has been decided that mobile phones will not be given to school students at home between 7 and 9 pm. If any child is found using mobile phone in this period, his/her family will have to pay a fine of Rs 500.
A team of teachers from the village's Zilla Parishad school will roam around the village between 7 to 9 pm every day to supervise the use of mobile phones.
Also, a drive has been taken to do away with child labour and a slogan, 'Show a child worker and get Rs 1,000' has been prepared. Thus, if a child labourer is seen on the road then his photograph should be clicked and brought to the Gram Panchayat office. A person who brings the photo will be given a reward of Rs 1,000.
Sarpanch Sharad Argade has said that if anyone notices a child worker, clicks his photo and brings it to the Gram Panchayat then he will be given a reward of Rs 1,000.
Recently, Shantaram Adhagale and Thakaji Argade, residents of Saundala village had an argument over a farm dam and verbally abused each other. In the morning, Sarpanch Argade went to the dam and settled the dispute by asking them to erect a pole on the dam. Both admitted that they indulged in verbal abuse and paid a fine of Rs 500 to the Gram Panchayat.
Gram Sevak Pratibha Pisote said that she would use the fine in putting up a flex boards to educate people against abuse.
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