OVer 1,400 bonded labourers in Karnataka get their due

The state government has ordered the release of a lump sum for more than 1,400 bonded labourers freed from their ordeal over the last couple of years, but the process is confusing and red-taped, activists say.

The Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) has released the lump sum ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 a month for 1,483 bonded labourers who are being rehabilitated. This is under a nondescript scheme the state government formulated in 2005.

Of the 1,483 freed bonded labourers, 1,421 are from Chikkaballapur who was rescued three years ago. Others are in Tumakuru (51), Shivamogga (8) and Bengaluru Rural (3).

“While the Labour department identifies and releases the bonded labour, rehabilitation is handled by the RDPR department since we deal with a bunch of schemes,” RDPR principal secretary L K Atheeq said.

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Under the state scheme, freed bonded labourers to get Rs 24,000 lump sum (Rs 1,000 each for 24 months). The amount was Rs 300 till it was revised in 2015.

Under a Central scheme, freed bonded labourers are to get Rs 1-3 lakh. “The Government of India says that only after the bonded labour is proved in a court of law can you give the assistance. The only people that effectively get an ex-gratia of Rs 20,000 are those who are released and get a release certificate by the assistant commissioners,” Atheeq explained.

Activists working to free bonded labour are not convinced. “There’s a lot of confusion,” said Kiran Kamal Prasad, founder of Jeevika, an organisation fighting against bonded labour.

“The lump-sum given for 24 months is a state scheme and the Centre has nothing to do with it,” Prasad said. “The Rs 20,000 assistance is given at the time of the release of bonded labour. For the remaining amount, there are two clauses: the state government has to work out a rehabilitation scheme, and the assistant commissioner or deputy commissioner should hold a summary trial of the person accused of employing bonded labour. The second clause is often construed by officials as ‘until after' the accused is sent to jail. But, the start of the summary trial itself will suffice,” he explained.

Also, Prasad pointed out that the government order issued for the 1,483 freed bonded labour has excluded 107 people rescued in Belagavi and 42 in Mandya. “They have received their release certificates,” he said.

PUCL state president Y J Rajendra said ‘influential’ bonded labour employers getaway. “It gets managed at the AC-level,” he rued. “You’ll still find thousands of bonded labour in brick kilns and quarries,” he added.

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