Lok Sabha Question No. 1043 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-17
Subject: Bonded Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: SANJAY JAISWAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1043 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2018

## BONDED LABOUR

1043. DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  and the number of Bonded Labourers identified so far in the country, State-wise/UT-wise;
- (b) the statistics of bonded labourers across States so identified;
- (c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  counter  the  problem  of  Bonded Labour; and
- (d)  the  total  funds  allocated  by  the  Government  to  rehabilitate  persons engaged in Bonded Labour?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE(IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) & (b): As  per  the  information  received  from  the  States/UTs,  the number of bonded labourers identified and released so far is as under:

| Name of the State   | Number of Bonded Labourers Identified and Released   |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      | 38,141                                               |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 3,526                                                |
| Assam               | 12                                                   |
| Bihar               | 17,886                                               |
| Chhattisgarh        | 3,548                                                |
| Gujarat             | 64                                                   |
| Haryana             | 594                                                  |
| Jharkhand           | 314                                                  |
| Karnataka           | 66,281                                               |
| Kerala              | 823                                                  |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 13,319                                               |
| Maharashtra         | 1,404                                                |
| Odisha              | 51,441                                               |
| Puducherry          | 09                                                   |

| Punjab        | 252      |
|---------------|----------|
| Rajasthan     | 7,872    |
| Tamil Nadu    | 65,573   |
| Uttar Pradesh | 42,279   |
| Uttaranchal   | 5        |
| West Bengal   | 344      |
| TOTAL         | 3,13,687 |

(c): Article 23 of the Constitution of India prohibits 'begar' and other similar forms of forced labour and further provide that any contravention of the said prohibition shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

The Central Government is fully committed towards eradication of the bonded labour system.

Accordingly, Bonded Labour System has been abolished by law throughout  the  country  with  effect  from  25 th   October,  1975  under  the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance which was replaced by The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

Under The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, States/Union  Territories  are  mandated  to  implement  the  provisions  of  the Act. The District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates and the Vigilance Committees  constituted  under  the  Act  have  been  entrusted  with  certain duties/responsibilities for implementation of the Act.

Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned State Government/Union Territory.

In order to assist the States/UTs in the task of rehabilitation of identified  and  released  bonded  labourers,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation  of  Bonded  Labour  has  been  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 salient features of the 'Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer, 2016' are as under:

Contd..3/-

- (1) Financial  assistance  is  provided  for  rehabilitation  of  a  rescued bonded  labourer  at  the  rate  of  rupees  one  lakh  for  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 women 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.
- (2) The  financial  assistance  for  rehabilitation  is  100%  funded  by  the Central Government.
- (3) The Scheme also provides for financial assistance of Rs. 4.50 lakh per district to the States for conducting survey of bonded labourers, Rs. 1.00 Lakh for evaluatory studies and Rs.  10 Lakhs per State per annum for awareness generation. Central Government will give 50% of the amount required for conducting Survey, Awareness Generation and Evaluatory Studies in advance. A State may conduct survey once in every three years per sensitive district. A State may conduct five Evaluatory Studies per year.
- (4) The  release  of rehabilitation  assistance  has  been  linked  with conviction  of  the  accused.  However,  immediate  assistance  upto Rs.  20,000/-  may  be  provided  to  the  rescued  bonded  labour  by  the District  Administration  irrespective of the status of conviction proceedings.
- (5) The 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 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.
7. (d):  This  Financial year i.e. 2018-19, a Budget Estimate of Rs. 10.00 Crores has been allocated by the Government under the Central Sector Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour, 2016.

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