Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Scourge of Bonded Labour
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○
9.12 A grant of Rs. 10 lakh was received from the Union Labour Ministry for survey of bonded
labourer in October, 2001. However, the funds were actually made available to the Labour
Commissioner towards the end of 2003 with Commission’s efforts. The survey work as taken
up in districts of Mirzapur, Allahabad, Kannauj, Meerut and Gautambudh Nagar. Only 7 bonded
labourers were identified in Mirzapur as a result of these surveys till 30-09-2004. A grant of Rs.
10 lakh released by the Government of India for awareness generation has been utilized properly
on Radio/TV programmes, publication of booklets on bonded labour, staging of nukkad nataks
etc. as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Labour. A grant of Rs.5 lakh was received from the
Government of India for evaluation studies in Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Mathura, Mirzapur and
Sonebhadra. Studies were conducted by Giri Vikas Adhyan Sansthan, Lucknow (Varanasi and
Chitrakoot), the Academy of Management Studies, Lucknow (Mathura) and the Institute of
Tourism Studies Lucknow University (Mirzapur and Sonebhadra). The following findings of
these surveys throw useful light on the phenomenon of bonded labour in UP:
(1) Almost 100% of the released bonded labourers have rural background. Over 80% are
landless agricultural labourrs.
(2) Indebtedness was the pre-dominant case of bondage.
(3) Representation of SC/ST and OBC classes ranges from 83% to 100 %. Muslims constitute
12.9% of the total number. All the released bonded labourers were detected at stonequarries,
carpet-looms or brick-kiln.
(4) The level of illiteracy was found to be ranging from 65 to 81%, and
(5) The average monthly income before release was Rs. 250 to 300. It is seen to have doubled
after rehabilitation. Prosecution of employers of bonded labour has been totally neglected.
The rehabilitation grant available under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme is inadequate.
Madhya Pradesh
9.13 25 out of a total of 48 districts of the State are considered ‘Bonded Labour-Prone Districts’.
District and Sub-Divisional level Vigilance Committees are in place in all the 48 districts except
Khargon, Devas and Sheopur.
9.14 A total of 411 bonded labourers have been identified and released in 10 districts of MP
during the period 1999-2000 to 2004-05 (upto 31-12-2004). The review is confined to the period
from July 99 onwards when the subject was transferred from the Revenue to Labour Department.
The Labour Commissioner informed that the records for the period before 1999 are not available.
9.15 188 out of a total of 411 identified and released bonded labourers are migrant labourers
belonging to U.P. (17), Chhatisgarh (143) and Bihar (28). Although intimation about their
136
National Human Rights Commission Annual Report - 2004-2005
AR-Chapter-1-19-10-6-06.p65
156
7/17/06, 6:29 PM