<p>The State government, it appears, does not want to learn from the bitter experiences of the past. Taken up after 12 years, the re-survey of bonded labourers has been going on at a snail’s pace as officials concerned remain lackadaisical. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The re-survey was ordered in July 2012 by the Self-Employment Programme (SEP) wing of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department.<br /><br />The SEP had also released Rs two lakh to each district to conduct the re-survey and directed that a report be submitted soon. But no district administration had obliged so far, official sources said. <br /><br />The last survey was conducted in 2001-02, following the rescue of chained bonded labourers from Hangarahalli village in Hassan district in 2000. A stunned government then made it mandatory that bonded labourers be surveyed every three years. <br />Effective steps were also suggested to eradicate the menace. Successive governments, however, have slept through. <br /><br />Section 2 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 had defined bonded labour as the situation of loss of freedom to sell one’s labour because one has received a loan (or some other economic benefit or any social obligation). <br /><br />The previous survey had identified 1,818 confirmed cases of bonded labour in the State with Mysore district alone accounting for 696 cases followed by Kolar with 370 cases.<br /><br />Other districts that followed were Tumkur (360), Chamarajanagar (75), Koppal (49), Hassan (48), Mandya (45) and Udupi and Kodagu (one each). <br /><br />50 reminders<br /><br />According to official sources, nearly 50 reminders have been sent to the 15-member vigilance committees headed by the Deputy Commissioners, to speed up the survey work. But many districts have not even begun the work.<br /><br />It appears the survey is not their top priority. The district officials hardly have time to hold meetings, commence the survey, identify the bonded labourers, and rescue and rehabilitate them. <br /><br />In its last reminder to the committees, the SEP set June 10, 2013 as the deadline for completing the survey. The SEP Director, M Deepa, says steps to complete the survey should be taken as soon as possible.<br /><br /> “Most labourers in Karnataka appear to have migrated from North India. The re-survey will reveal the instances of bonded labour, if any,” she said. <br /></p>
<p>The State government, it appears, does not want to learn from the bitter experiences of the past. Taken up after 12 years, the re-survey of bonded labourers has been going on at a snail’s pace as officials concerned remain lackadaisical. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The re-survey was ordered in July 2012 by the Self-Employment Programme (SEP) wing of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department.<br /><br />The SEP had also released Rs two lakh to each district to conduct the re-survey and directed that a report be submitted soon. But no district administration had obliged so far, official sources said. <br /><br />The last survey was conducted in 2001-02, following the rescue of chained bonded labourers from Hangarahalli village in Hassan district in 2000. A stunned government then made it mandatory that bonded labourers be surveyed every three years. <br />Effective steps were also suggested to eradicate the menace. Successive governments, however, have slept through. <br /><br />Section 2 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 had defined bonded labour as the situation of loss of freedom to sell one’s labour because one has received a loan (or some other economic benefit or any social obligation). <br /><br />The previous survey had identified 1,818 confirmed cases of bonded labour in the State with Mysore district alone accounting for 696 cases followed by Kolar with 370 cases.<br /><br />Other districts that followed were Tumkur (360), Chamarajanagar (75), Koppal (49), Hassan (48), Mandya (45) and Udupi and Kodagu (one each). <br /><br />50 reminders<br /><br />According to official sources, nearly 50 reminders have been sent to the 15-member vigilance committees headed by the Deputy Commissioners, to speed up the survey work. But many districts have not even begun the work.<br /><br />It appears the survey is not their top priority. The district officials hardly have time to hold meetings, commence the survey, identify the bonded labourers, and rescue and rehabilitate them. <br /><br />In its last reminder to the committees, the SEP set June 10, 2013 as the deadline for completing the survey. The SEP Director, M Deepa, says steps to complete the survey should be taken as soon as possible.<br /><br /> “Most labourers in Karnataka appear to have migrated from North India. The re-survey will reveal the instances of bonded labour, if any,” she said. <br /></p>