Ranchi, March 18: If it materialises, it will come as a boon to all those fighting the stigma of mental illness all on their own.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has strongly recommended construction of ?Halfway Homes? for people who have nowhere to go after being discharged from a mental asylum. These homes will not only work as shelters for those deserted by their families but also provide suitable employment opportunities. There will be special emphasis to provide vocational training to women in such rehabilitation centres.

The NHRC has also strongly recommended that child labour ? in any form ? be banned in the state.

The commission has also recommended the state government to strictly adhere to the recent amendments in civil service rules which have laid down specific penalties for civil servants found employing children as domestic helps.

NHRC chairman Justice (retd.) A.S. Anand, who arrived here on a two-day visit today, expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the state government to curb child labour in the state but said a constant watch is the need of the hour.

?Around 186 cases of child and bonded labour were reported from this region when this state was a part of Bihar. We now have concrete reports that 90 per cent of such children have been rehabilitated. This is a healthy sign,? said Anand.

He came down heavily on people who employ children in hazardous occupations like stone quarries and in bidi making units. ?It is a crime to employ children in hazardous occupations. We have recommended that employment of children for any work be banned and that the employer be brought to book,? he said.

He said the state government has been asked to curb child labour in any form. ?The point that children be allowed to work to sustain their families is not acceptable to the commission. The state government has schemes under which children are provided their midday meal and are also given a stipend.?

Anand, who is to hold a meeting with the chief secretary, will also recommend measures to prevent exploitation of women.

?We?ve identified 14 states in which trafficking of women is common. We conducted a survey and the results were astonishing. The youngest was an 11-year-old. We have been insisting on bringing the middlemen under legal gambit instead of harassing women caught being traded as commodities,? said Anand.

The NHRC is taking special care of women of tsunami-hit states. ?There is a strong possibility of women from the tsunami-hit states being sexually exploited. We have informed the state government of the states that we are closely monitoring,? he said.