The labour resources department will formulate a mechanism to grade gram panchayats to assess their performance in preventing village children from becoming child labourers.

This would be part of a social and behavioural change strategy that was launched by labour resources minister Vijay Prakash at an event here on Tuesday for prevention of child labour in Bihar.

The initiative of the labour resources department assumes significance because the 2011 census says there are around 4.5 lakh child labourers in Bihar. According to the census, Bihar contributes 11 per cent of the total child workers' population in the country.

The department, in collaboration with Unicef and various non-government organisations, have formulated the strategy.

According to the plan, a high-level task force comprising officials of various departments, including labour resources, education, social welfare, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes welfare among others, would also be formed which would ensure implementation of the strategy through inter-departmental co-ordination.

Labour resources commissioner Gopal Meena, labour resources principal secretary Dipak Kumar Singh, state Unicef chief Asadur Rahman were among the dignitaries present during the launch of the social and behavioural change strategy at a city hotel.

On the initiatives which the gram panchayats are supposed to take to prevent village children to take up work, a Unicef official said: "The gram panchayats are supposed to take a number of initiatives, including a mandatory process of registration of all children moving out of the village as well as those living in the village. Ensuring child labour-free schools in their villages and developing a mechanism to track middlemen would also be part of their assessments. The strategy for prevention of child labour in the state has been formulated. The work on formulating a state action plan for the same is on. Now, the labour resources department would have discussions with other government departments to decide ways to implement the strategy."

Apart from talking about introducing a grading system for gram panchayats, the social and behavioural change strategy of the labour resources department also entails a few more first-of-its-kind measures such as establishing a mechanism by which an unpleasant experience of students in the schools can be recorded.

"According to the strate-gy, the tola sevaks, nyay mitras, engaged in govern-ment primary and middle schools, have to ensure recording of such cases. The idea is to stop student dropouts because it is a reason behind their induction into child labour," added the Unicef official.

Minister Prakash said his department to dissuade people from engaging child workers would initiate a massive awareness campaign.

"Even if we achieve a few per cent of our plan, it will help curb child labour in Bihar to a great extent," he said.