New Delhi, August 12th, 2011

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has setup a cell to monitor the progress in the Bonded Labour and Child Labour cases taken up with the different public authorities by the Commission. The decision to setup this cell was taken as it was felt that a focused attention will be needed to coordinate with the concerned public authorities in the Centre, States and the Union Territories for better and expeditious action to eliminate Bonded Labour as already directed by the Supreme Court.

The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act was enacted in the year 1976. NHRC has engaged itself with the issue of elimination of bonded labour ever since it came into existence in the year1993.In order to tackle the problem, the Commission has been undertaking state wise reviews and conducting workshops to sensitize all the stakeholders and build awareness among them on the issues of bonded labour system in the country.

In order to give further impetus to NHRC's efforts towards elimination of Bonded Labour the dedicated cell will monitor the ten point charter of activities on the issue as follows:

1. Constitute a Core Group on Bonded Labour to advise Commission in chalking out and suggesting strategies to the State/Central Government for elimination of bonded labour in the country;
2. Organize a National Level Seminar on elimination of bonded labour system;
3. Organize workshops in the each bonded labour prone States;
4. Constitute a NHRC team which can carryout surprise visits to bonded labour prone areas with the assistance of the social action groups operating in such areas;
5. Hold meetings with the State/UT Government to review the functioning of the Bonded Labour Act in the States/UTs;
6. Develop an Instruction Manual for the States detailing a comprehensive check list for identification, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers, issues of release certificate to freed bonded labourers, module for sensitizing DMs, Vigilance Committees (blocks, sub-divisions and districts), civil society functionaries and labour law enforcement machinery;
7. Design a simple format on the bonded labour for monitoring factual position in the districts;
8. Review existing schemes of the Central and State Governments on bonded labour and suggest modifications to make them more practical and relevant to the current situation. Recommending creation of a non-lapsable fund in each district for rehabilitation of freed bonded labourers;
9. Recommending States to organize orientation training programmes in each bonded labour prone district for sensitization of all members of Vigilance Committees (sub-divisions and districts) and also for the field functionaries of labour law enforcement, in each calendar year;
10. Recommending States to constitute a State Level Monitoring and Coordination Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary with Secretaries to Government of various departments as members. The Committee will convene meetings to take stock of bonded labour situation in their state and apprise the Commission in every six months.


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