Bonded
Labour System has been abolished by law throughout the country with effect from
25th October, 1975 under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition)
Ordinance which was replaced by the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Under the Act, it is the responsibility of State governments to identify,
release and rehabilitate the bonded labour.
The
Act affords protection to the freed bonded labourers from eviction from their
homestead. District Administration is mandated to restore the bonded labourer
to the possession of such homestead or other residential premises as early as
practicable. The Act also provides for the economic and social rehabilitation
of the freed bonded labourers.
In
order to assist the State Governments in the task of rehabilitation of
identified and released bonded labourers, a Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for
Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour was in operation since May, 1978. The
Government has revamped the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation
of Bonded Labourers with effect from 17th May, 2016. The revamped
scheme is known as the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded
Labourers, 2016’.
The salient features of the
Scheme are as under:
(1)
The
revised scheme is a Central Sector Scheme. The State Government is not required
to pay any matching contribution for the purpose of cash rehabilitation
assistance.
(2)
Financial
assistance has been increased from Rs. 20,000/- to one lakh per adult male beneficiary,
Rs. 2 lakh for special category beneficiaries such as children including
orphans or those rescued from organized & forced begging rings or other
forms of forced child labour, and women and Rs. 3 lakh in cases of bonded or
forced labour involving extreme cases of deprivation or marginalization such as
trans-genders, or woman or children rescued from ostensible sexual exploitation
such as brothels, massage parlours, placement agencies etc., or trafficking, or
in cases of differently abled persons, or in situations where the District
Magistrate deems fit.
(3)
The
amount of assistance for survey of bonded labourers is Rs. 4.50 lakh per
district.
(4)
The
release of rehabilitation assistance has been linked with conviction of the
accused. In cases where the trial has not been concluded, but the District
Administration has arrived at a prima facie finding and proof of bondage, then
the proposal for cash assistance shall not be stopped for want of details of
conviction. However, final disbursement of cash assistance and non-cash
assistance shall be made upon proof of bondage and other legal consequences as
per judicial process.
(5)
Scheme
provides for creation of a Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund at District level
by each State with a permanent corpus of at least Rs. 10 lakh at the disposal
of the District Magistrate for extending immediate help to the released bonded
labourers.
(6)
The
fund is released by the Ministry under the Scheme to the District National
Child Labour Project Society and the District Project Society in turn releases
the fund to the implementing agencies including the district administration.
(7)
Special
care is made available by the State for addressing the needs of the disabled
persons, female freed bonded labourers and bonded child labour by providing
safe and secure environment for the capacity building of child bonded
labourers, facilities for ensuring their proper education, short stay home
till education upto class 12th, skill development, marriage
assistance etc.
(8)
The
benefits prescribed above shall be, in addition to, other cash or non-cash
benefits which a beneficiary under this scheme is entitled to, by or under any
other scheme or law applicable for the time being in force. Further, the above
benefits would be additionality to other land and housing elements etc. as
mentioned below:
·
Allotment
of house-site and agricultural land.
·
Land
development.
·
Provision
of low cost dwelling units.
·
Animal
husbandry, dairy, poultry, piggery etc.
·
Wage
employment, enforcement of minimum wages etc.
·
Collection
and processing of minor forest products.
·
Supply
of essential commodities under targeted public distribution system.
·
Education
for children.
The
budget allocation available under the Scheme for the current financial year is
Rs. three crore. Every bonded labour including child bonded labour in the
country is covered under the Scheme. In case of migrant bonded labourers, it
is responsibility of the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations,
where the bonded labour have been identified, to make arrangements for their
repatriation to their native place, if they so desire.
This
information was given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Labour and Employment, in reply to a question in Lok Sabha
today.
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AT/YSK