THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION No. 11941 of 1998 DATED: 06-06-2007 Between: Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, A.P.State, rep. by its General Secretary, Hyderabad …Petitioner and The District Magistrate-cum-District Collector, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad and another …Respondents THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM W.P.No. 11941 of 1998 Oral order: This writ petition is filed in the nature of a public interest litigation to direct the respondents to take appropriate steps for setting free the bonded labour working in the Brick manufacturing centers in Maheshwaram Mandal, Ranga Reddy District. The petitioner has alleged, inter alia, that there is violation of the provisions of the Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 by the Brick manufacturers; that in the brick kilns no facility even for drinking water is provided; that meager amounts of Rs.20/- per thousand bricks is being paid; that the workmen are eating broken rice; and do not even have minimal nutritional food. The labourers are stated to have been employed in contravention of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. In the counter-affidavit filed by the 1st respondent, it is clearly and categorically denied that the workmen employed in the brick kilns are bonded labour. The counter states that each labour is paid on a piece rate basis ranging from Rs.60/- to Rs.75/- per thousand bricks and that these labour are brought from different parts of the Country including the State of Orissa, Maharastra and Karnataka apart from within the State and that they are not bonded labour. The respondent also pleads that on enquiry by the answering respondent, the labour employed have not complained of any ill-treatment and that adequate food is being supplied by the brick manufacturers. In the light of the averments in the counter-affidavit, which have not been denied by any subsequent affidavit of the petitioner, no case is made out for interference on the ground that there is a transgression of the provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. There are no merits. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed. No order as to costs. _______________________ GODA RAGHURAM, J 06-06-2007 GRR