New Delhi, 30th August, 2016

The National Human Rights Commission is organizing a day long regional Workshop on 'Elimination of Bonded Labour' for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at Tungabhadra Conference Hall, Dr. MCRHRC Institute, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, on Friday, the 2nd September, 2016. It has been organized in collaboration with the State of Telangana. The Workshop, being chaired by Mr. Justice D. Murugesan, Member, NHRC, will start at 09:30 a.m. and conclude by 05:00 p.m.

The participants of the Workshop will be senior officers of the Government of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, representative(s) State Human Rights Commission of Andhra Pradesh, NGOs and representatives of brick kilns, stone crushing and other related industries. Academic, research scholars from Telangana University, NALSAR University of Law and Osmania University of Telangana have been 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 endeavor to raise concerns on the continuance of bonded labour has been organizing workshops to sensitize official machinery to work for its abolition in different parts of the country. It has organized 36 workshops on elimination of bonded labour so far.

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