MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)
(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (f) THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NUMBER *79 FOR 07.02.2022 REGARDING BONDED LABOUR BY SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI.
(a) & (b): Bonded Labour System has been abolished by law throughout the country with effect from 25th October, 1975 by promulgation of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance on 25th October, 1975. This was later replaced by the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. As and when existence of bonded labour is detected, such persons are identified for rehabilitation. Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned States/Union Territories. However, in order to assist the State Governments in the task of rehabilitation of identified and released bonded labour, a Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer-2016 is in operation since 17.05.2016.
From the reports available from the State Governments, no discernible change in the prevalence of bonded labour due to Covid-19 pandemic is observed. However, keeping in view the challenges posed by the successive waves of the pandemic, all State/UT Governments have been directed to prepare a State Action Plan for preventing and rehabilitating victims of bonded labour and labour trafficking.
(c) & (d): The State-wise break-up of identified cases of bonded labour from 2015 to 2021 is as under:
Year State/UT Bonded Labour identified and rehabilitated
2015-16 Uttar Pradesh 2216
2016-17 Bihar 1792
Jharkhand 118
Odisha 258
Uttar Pradesh 258
Karnataka 181
2017-18 Bihar 461
Karnataka 1500
Uttar Pradesh 3492
Rajasthan 159
Madhya Pradesh 02
Chhattisgarh 57
Odisha 742
2018-19 Uttar Pradesh 741
Bihar 238
Assam 12
Puducherry 9
Chhattisgarh 1276
2019-20 - -
2020-21 Assam 1
Bihar 220
Madhya Pradesh 34
Rajasthan 49
West Bengal 16
2021-22 Bihar 154
Tamilnadu 876
Chhattisgarh 250
Rajasthan 50
(e): The amount spent for the rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers from 2015 to 2021 is given below:
(Rs. in lakh)
Year Amount spent for the rehabilitation of bonded labourers from 2015 to 2021
2015-16 221.60
2016-17 260.70
2017-18 664.50
2018-19 319.25
2019-20 34.75
2020-21 99.85
2021-22 296.00
(f): There exists an institutional mechanism to address the issue of bonded labour. Standard operating procedure for identification and rescue of bonded labourers and prosecution of offender has been framed and issued to all the State Governments for strengthening the prosecution machinery. Regular sensitization programmes and coordination with the field level functionaries such as District Magistrate/Superintendent of Police/Labour Department officials at the district and State level are held under the aegis of National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions.
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