As per the information received from the States/UTs, the number of bonded labourers identified and released so far is as under:
Name of the State |
Number of Bonded Labourers Identified and Released |
Andhra Pradesh |
38,141 |
Arunachal Pradesh |
3,526 |
Assam |
12 |
Bihar |
17,886 |
Chhattisgarh |
3,548 |
Gujarat |
64 |
Haryana |
594 |
Jharkhand |
314 |
Karnataka |
66,281 |
Kerala |
823 |
Madhya Pradesh |
13,319 |
Maharashtra |
1,404 |
Odisha |
51,441 |
Puducherry |
09 |
Punjab |
252 |
Rajasthan |
7,872 |
Tamil Nadu |
65,573 |
Uttar Pradesh |
42,279 |
Uttaranchal |
5 |
West Bengal |
344 |
TOTAL |
3,13,687 |
Article 23 of the Constitution of India prohibits “begar” and other similar forms of forced labour and further provide that any contravention of the said prohibition shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law. The Central Government is fully committed towards eradication of the bonded labour system.
Accordingly, Bonded Labour System has been abolished by law throughout the country with effect from 25th October, 1975 under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance which was replaced by The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Under The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, States/Union Territories are mandated to implement the provisions of the Act. The District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates and the Vigilance Committees constituted under the Act have been entrusted with certain duties/responsibilities for implementation of the Act.
Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned State Government/Union Territory.
In order to assist the States/UTs in the task of rehabilitation of identified and released bonded labourers, a Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour has been in operation since May, 1978. The Government has revamped the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers with effect from 17th May, 2016. The salient features of the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer, 2016’ are as under:
This Financial year i.e. 2018-19, a Budget Estimate of Rs. 10.00 Crores has been allocated by the Government under the Central Sector Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour, 2016.
This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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RCJ/SKP/IA