Lok Sabha Question No. 4291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-07
Subject: Data on Bonded Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4291 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.01.2019

## DATA ON BONDED LABOUR

†4291. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK:

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

(a)whether  the  Government  is  not  having  any  information  in  regard  to  the presence of bonded labourers in the country as well as extent of action taken under the Child Labour laws and the outcome of such action thereof; (b)if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and (c)the  strategy  being  adopted  by  the  Government  for  the  welfare  of  the

- Bonded labourers in absence of the above data?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The 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.  Instances  of  prevalence  of  bonded labour system are noticed now and then even after its abolition. The root of the problem lies in the social customs and economic compulsions.

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.  For  these functions,  District  Magistrates  and  Sub-Divisional  Magistrates  have  been entrusted  with  certain  duties/responsibilities.  To  assist  the  District/SubDivisional  Magistrates  in discharge  of their statutory duties, vigilance committees  are  required  to  be  constituted  at  district  and  sub-divisional level.  Under  the  Act,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  District  Magistrate  or  every officer specified by him to inquire whether bonded labour system is prevalent within the local limits of his jurisdiction.  Further one of the functions of the vigilance committees is to make a survey as to whether there is any offence for  which  cognizance  ought  to  be  taken  under  the  Bonded  Labour  System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

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  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:

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 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 involving  extreme  cases  of  deprivation  or  marginalization  such  as  transMagistrate deems fit.

The  financial  assistance  for  rehabilitation  is  100%  funded  by  the

Central Government.

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 for  conducting  Survey,  Awareness  Generation  and  Evaluatory Studies in advance. A State may conduct survey once in every three years required per sensitive district. A State may conduct five Evaluatory Studies per year.

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.

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.

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.

The State/UT-wise details of bonded labourers released and rehabilitated since 2016, is as under:

| Year         | State/UT       |   Bonded Labourers released and rehabilitated |
|--------------|----------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 2015-16      | Uttar Pradesh  |                                          2216 |
| 2016-17      | Bihar          |                                          1792 |
| 2016-17      | Jharkhand      |                                           118 |
| 2016-17      | Odisha         |                                           258 |
| 2016-17      | Uttar Pradesh  |                                           258 |
| 2016-17      | Karnataka      |                                           181 |
| 2017-18      | Bihar          |                                           461 |
| 2017-18      | Karnataka      |                                          1500 |
| 2017-18      | Uttar Pradesh  |                                          3492 |
| 2017-18      | Rajasthan      |                                           159 |
| 2017-18      | Madhya Pradesh |                                            02 |
| 2017-18      | Chhattisgarh   |                                            57 |
| 2017-18      | Odisha         |                                           742 |
| 2018-19      | Uttar Pradesh  |                                           741 |
| (till 12/18) | Bihar          |                                           251 |
| (till 12/18) | Assam          |                                            12 |
| (till 12/18) | Puducherry     |                                             9 |
| (till 12/18) | Chhattisgarh   |                                          1276 |

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