NHRC's day long workshop on Elimination of Bonded Labour begins at Jaipur (27.1.2016)

CURTAIN RAISER

New Delhi, 27th January, 2016

The National Human Rights Commission is organising a day long Workshop on 'Elimination of Bonded Labour' in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan at Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration, JLN Marg, Jaipur on the 29th January, 2016. The Workshop, being chaired by Mr. Justice D. Murugesan, Member, NHRC, will start at 09:30 a.m. and conclude by 04:45 p.m.

The participants of the Workshop will be senior officers of the Government of Rajasthan, representative(s) State Human Rights Commission of Rajasthan, NGOs and representatives of brick kilns, stone crushing and other related industries. Academic, research scholars and University of Rajasthan are also invited to attend the Workshop.

The objective of the Workshop is to familiarize and sensitize the District Magistrates, Sub Divisional Magistrates, State Labour Officers and Members of Vigilance Committees, brick kilns, stone crushing and other related industries etc. in the process of identification, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers and with the provisions of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and other related legislations.

The National Human Rights Commission was asked by the Supreme Court of India in 1997 to get involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. The Court's directions came while hearing a Writ Petition (No. 3922/1985) - People's Union for Civil Liberties Vs State of Tamil Nadu & Others. Since then, the NHRC has been overseeing the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976 in different parts of the country.

Therefore, the Commission, in its endeavour to raise concerns on the continuance of bonded labour has been organising workshops to sensitize official machinery to work for its abolition in different parts of the country. It has organised 33 workshops on elimination of bonded labour so far.

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