Lok Sabha Question No. 1202 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-06
Subject: Bonded Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Kani K. Navas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1202

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

## BONDED LABOURERS

## 1202. SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

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

- (a)whether the Government has implemented a 7 year strategy (201718 to 2023-24) to reduce the number of bonded labourers to 50 per cent of the 2016 estimate;
- (b)if so, the details thereof including the progress made till date, and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)whether  the  Government  has  implemented  a  3  year  action  plan (2017-18 to 2019-20) to survey bonded labour across states;
- (d)if so, the details thereof including the progress made till date, and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e)the  year-wise  budgetary  allocations  and  funds  released  toward
- addressing the issue of bonded labour, from 2014 till date?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

- (a) & (b): The  Government  of  India  is  fully  committed  for  complete eradication  of  bonded  labour.    There  exists  a  robust  mechanism  to address  the  issue  of  bonded  labour.  The  Bonded  labour  system  was abolished throughout the country by an Ordinance in 1975 which was later replaced by Bonded labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.  The Act provides  for  the  abolition  of  Bonded  labour  System  with  a  view  to prevent the economic and physical exploitation of the weaker sections of the people.  Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned State/Union Territory Governments. Till date, 3,15,136 bonded labourers have been identified and released in the country.

Standard operating procedure for identification and rescue of bonded labourers and prosecution of offender has been framed and issued to all the State Governments for strengthening the prosecution machinery.  Regular sensitization  programmes and coordination with the field level functionaries such as District Magistrate/Superintendent of Police/Labour Department officials at the district and state level are held  under  the  aegis  of  National  Human  Rights  Commission,  State Human Rights Commissions.

(c) & (d): As per provisions of Central Sector Scheme for rehabilitation of  bonded  labour 2016  fund is released to State Governments  for  conducting  survey  of  bonded  labourers.  Details  of fund released  during 2017-18 to 2019-20 is as under:

| Year    | State/UT       |   Fund Released (Rs. in lakh) |
|---------|----------------|-------------------------------|
| 2017-18 | Rajasthan      |                         74.25 |
| Madhy   | Madhya Pradesh |                         18    |
|         | Sikkim         |                          9    |
| 2018-19 | Chhattisgarh   |                         60.75 |
| 2019-20 | Tamil Nadu     |                         24.75 |

(e): The year-wise budgetary allocation and fund released is as under:

| Year    |   B.E (Rs. in lakhs) | R.E (Rs. in lakhs)   |   Fund Utilized(Rs. in lakhs) |
|---------|----------------------|----------------------|-------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                  500 | 500                  |                         95.3  |
| 2015-16 |                  500 | 500                  |                        221.6  |
| 2016-17 |                  500 | 300                  |                        260.7  |
| 2017-18 |                 1000 | 812                  |                        668.1  |
| 2018-19 |                 1000 | 750                  |                        319.25 |
| 2019-20 |                  800 | 100                  |                         34.75 |
| 2020-21 |                 1000 | 100                  |                         99.85 |
| 2021-22 |                 1000 | -                    |                        280.43 |

******