Rescued bonded labourers get roadmap for better life

A rehabilitation camp was conducted here for rescued bonded labourers to ensure they do not fall prey to the inhuman practice if they do not have any other source of income.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department (RDPR) and the Social Welfare Department came together on Tuesday to reach out to bonded labouers in 27 districts, including Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Hassan and Haveri.

At district-level camps, rescued labourers were screened to assess their eligibility to schemes available across government departments and corporations.

Officials from different departments came together under one roof for the camp to process the information and speed up the procedures. In Shivamogga, Zilla Panchayat CEO Vaishali M L handed over job cards to many labourers.

A short documentary on bonded labour entitled 'Hidden in Plain Sight’ made by the RDPR and the International Justice Mission, was released on the occasion.

Dispelling the popular opinion that bonded labour is a thing of the past, the documentary brings testimonies from survivors rescued recently after being forced into that condition for more than 20 years.