Lok Sabha Question No. 79 (STARRED), answered on 2022-02-07
Subject: Bonded Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 79 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2022

## BONDED LABOUR

## *79.  SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  been  tracking  the  incidences  of bonded labour in the country;
- (b)whether  there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  incidences  of  bonded labour since the onset of Covid-19;
- (c)the  State-wise  break-up  of  identified  cases  of  bonded  labour  from 2015 to 2021;
- (d)the State-wise break-up  of total  number  of  bonded  labourers rehabilitated during the said period;
- (e)the  amount  spent  for  the  rehabilitation  of  bonded  labourers  from 2015 to 2021; and
- (f)the  mechanism  that  the  Government  has  in  place  to  combat  this issue?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (f)  THE  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NUMBER *79 FOR 07.02.2022 REGARDING BONDED LABOUR BY SHRIMATI MANEKA  SANJAY GANDHI.

- (a) & (b): Bonded Labour System has been abolished by law throughout the country with effect from 25 th October, 1975  by promulgation of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance on 25 th October, 1975. This was later replaced by   the Bonded Labour System (Abolition)  Act,  1976.    As  and  when  existence  of  bonded  labour  is detected,  such  persons  are  identified  for  rehabilitation.  Under  the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned  States/Union  Territories.    However,  in  order  to  assist  the State  Governments  in  the  task  of  rehabilitation  of  identified  and released bonded labour, a Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer-2016 is in operation since 17.05.2016.

From the reports available from the State Governments, no discernible change in the prevalence of bonded labour due to Covid-19 pandemic  is  observed.    However,  keeping  in  view  the  challenges posed  by the successive waves  of the pandemic, all State/UT Governments  have  been  directed  to  prepare  a  State  Action  Plan  for preventing  and  rehabilitating  victims  of  bonded  labour  and  labour trafficking.

(c) & (d): The  State-wise  break-up  of  identified  cases  of  bonded labour from  2015 to 2021 is as under:

| Year    | State/UT      |   Bonded Labour identified and rehabilitated |
|---------|---------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 2015-16 | Uttar Pradesh |                                         2216 |
| 2016-17 | Bihar         |                                         1792 |
|         | Jharkhand     |                                          118 |
|         | Odisha        |                                          258 |
|         | Uttar Pradesh |                                          258 |
|         | Karnataka     |                                          181 |
| 2017-18 | Bihar         |                                          461 |
|         | Karnataka     |                                         1500 |

|         | Uttar Pradesh   | 3492   |
|---------|-----------------|--------|
|         | Rajasthan       | 159    |
|         | Madhya Pradesh  | 02     |
|         | Chhattisgarh    | 57     |
|         | Odisha          | 742    |
| 2018-19 | Uttar Pradesh   | 741    |
|         | Bihar           | 238    |
|         | Assam           | 12     |
|         | Puducherry      | 9      |
|         | Chhattisgarh    | 1276   |
| 2019-20 | -               | -      |
| 2020-21 | Assam           | 1      |
|         | Bihar           | 220    |
|         | Madhya Pradesh  | 34     |
|         | Rajasthan       | 49     |
|         | West Bengal     | 16     |
| 2021-22 | Bihar           | 154    |
|         | Tamilnadu       | 876    |
|         | Chhattisgarh    | 250    |
|         | Rajasthan       | 50     |

(e): The amount spent for the rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers from 2015 to 2021 is given below:

|         | (Rs. in lakh)                                                      | (Rs. in lakh)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| Year    | Amount spent for the rehabilitation of labourers from 2015 to 2021 | bonded          |
| 2015-16 |                                                                    | 221.60          |
| 2016-17 |                                                                    | 260.70          |
| 2017-18 |                                                                    | 664.50          |
| 2018-19 |                                                                    | 319.25          |
| 2019-20 |                                                                    | 34.75           |
| 2020-21 |                                                                    | 99.85           |
| 2021-22 |                                                                    | 296.00          |

(f): There  exists    an  institutional  mechanism  to  address  the issue of bonded labour. 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 and State Human Rights Commissions.

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