Group constituted to go into means of effective implementation of Laws on Abolition of Bonded Labour

The Commission, on 22 September 2000, constituted a group to prepare a report on the present status of Bonded Labour in the country. The group shall make recommendations to improve the existing schemes to deal with the problem and to effectively implement the laws for abolition of bonded labour.

The Convener of the group is Shri Chaman Lal, Special Rapporteur, NHRC. The other members are Shri S.R Sankaran, IAS (Retd.); Shri K.R.Venugopal, IAS (Retd.); Shri K.B. Saxena, Principal Adviser, Planning Commission; Vivek Pandit of Samarthan; Swami Agnivesh, President, Bandhua Mukti Morcha and Shri Harsh Mandar, IAS (MP).

The group will, inter-alia, identify bonded labour-prone districts, industries and occupations employing bonded labour; review existing laws relating to bonded labour in India and their enforcement and suggest improvements as needed; look into various aspects of training on the legal aspects and enforcement of bonded labour laws insofar as it concerns target groups such as officers of the revenue, labour and police departments; advocates and lawyers who handle bonded labour cases; and public prosecutors etc.; hold seminars and workshops at the district and state levels to bring together government officials and NGOs for a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the collaborative effort; study the various Poverty Alleviation Programmes in force with a view to ensuring their optimum utilization in arranging rehabilitation of bonded labourers; analyse and disseminate information relating to judgments/orders of various High Courts and the Supreme Court relating to bonded labour laws.

The group will finalise its report, along with its recommendations, within a period of six months.

It may be recalled that the problem of migrant bonded labourers from Tamil Nadu, who were being subjected to exploitation in Madhya Pradesh, came under the scrutiny of the Hon’ble Supreme Court through Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Writ Petition (Civil) No.3922/85. The scope of the petition was later expanded to cover the problem of bonded labour in all the States and Union Territories in the country. By its Order dated 11 May 1997, the Hon’ble Supreme Court requested the NHRC to take over the monitoring of the implementation of the directions of the Supreme Court and of the provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

The Commission has been interacting with the Ministry of Labour and, through Special Rapporteurs, with the State Governments, in order to evolve suitable measures to deal with the problem of bonded labour in the country. The Commission has also been considering the best manner in which it can achieve the objectives assigned to it by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. It is to further this purpose that the Commission decided to constitute this group