Despite the enactment of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, the menace of bonded labour still exists in society, said Member-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Kalaburagi, Sushant M. Chougale here on Wednesday.
Observing the Bonded Labour System Abolition Day jointly organised by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat, District Legal Services Authority and Women and Child Welfare Department, the officials of various departments took a unified pledge to end bonded labour.
Mr. Chougale said that the bonded labour system refers to forced or partly forced labour, whereby individuals or even family members are compelled to work without wages to pay off their debts.
He said that mostly the oppressed sections of society, including women and children, fall prey to such agreements with rich creditors and landlords and are forced to work as peasants. The financial help taken by them starts off as a small loan and leave generations of a family caught in the bonded labour system.
Mr. Chougle said that newer forms of bonded labour need to be identified for providing relief to such people as per the existing Act. Members of the Vigilance Committee play a vital role in eliminating bonded labour. Such committees at the district and sub-divisional levels have been asked to identify and rehabilitate bonded labour. Despite these steps and even after four decades of enactment of bonded labour law, there is such a large number of bonded labour, he said.
Under Article 23 of the Constitution, trafficking in human beings and forced labour have been explicitly prohibited. Further, Article 21 secures the rights to life and to personal liberty. Apart from these Constitutional provisions, specific consonant legislation has also been enacted to prohibit bonded labour, he added.
Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dilesh Sasi and Deputy Commissioner of Labour, Kalaburagi, D.G. Nagesh were present.
