NHRC notice to the Tamil Nadu Government over relief and rehabilitation measures taken for 550 bonded labourers reportedly rescued in Thiruvallur district (08.03.2016)
The Commission has come across a distressing media report published in English newspaper "New India Express, Chennai" dated 03.03.2016, captioned "550 Bonded Labourers Freed in T'vallur'. According to the Newspaper report, in a massive drive on 2/3/2016, about 550 bonded labourers including several women hailing from Odisha and Chhattisgarh were rescued from a brick klin in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. The report mentions that the labourers belonging to 180 families were rescued from the same brick unit, functioning under inhuman working conditions at Pondavakkam in Ponneri Taluk. They were allegedly forced to work from 3 AM with mere weekly wages Rs 400/- for a family. They had allegedly been paid an advance before moving to Tamil Nadu. The families were brought from six districts of Odisha besides some from Chhattisgarh in early January.
The contents of the report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim labourers.
Issue notice to Secretary, Labour Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, calling for a factual report within two weeks. The report should also specify the steps taken for rehabilitation of the bonded labourers as well as details of the payment of the release amount to the bonded labourers.
The contents of the report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim labourers.
Issue notice to Secretary, Labour Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, calling for a factual report within two weeks. The report should also specify the steps taken for rehabilitation of the bonded labourers as well as details of the payment of the release amount to the bonded labourers.