New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS): The government on Monday said it was pushing forward an amendment to the country's child labour laws, aimed at prohibiting children between 14 and 18 years of age to be employed in any hazardous occupation.

"The government has introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 which along with the proposed Official amendments, inter alia, covers prohibition of employment of adolescent (14-18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes," union Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

He was responding to a question raised by Congress member Shashi Tharoor over a report by the International Labour Organisation which claimed India to be employing 2.4 million adolescents -- the highest in the world -- in hazardous jobs.

The minister said the bill has provisions for punishment for employing adolescents in contravention of the act's provisions.

Creation of a Child and Adolescent Labour Rehabilitation Fund has also been proposed.