NHRC rescues 101 bonded labourers from Madhubani in Bihar

NEW DELHI: With National Human Rights Commission’s intervention, 101 labourers from 38 families, working in Benipatti sub division of Bihar’s Madhubani district as bonded labour since generations, have been rescued and rehabilitated. Since generations, these labourers were forced to work by their respective employers at their respective agricultural lands under ‘Kamiya’ bonded labour custom and were not paid their statutory minimum wages, instead they received two kilograms each (husband and wife) of raw rice per day against hard labour rendered.Most of the labourers belong to the scheduled caste Musahar community and worked more than 10 hours a day and did not have freedom to move out or to be employed elsewhere.
The labourers were not only rescued and provided release certificates but also provided relief under various social welfare schemes including some land towards their rehabilitation by the concerned district authorities.
Subsequently, two criminal cases have been registered against 18 errant employers in the matter at Police Station Arer in Bihar and efforts are being made to recover past wages from the employers.
All the children of the rescued bonded labourers have been admitted to schools, 26 girls have been covered in chief minister’s security scheme. In addition to this, the families of the rescued bonded labourers have also been given benefits of Indira Awas Yojana, Indira Gandhi National old age pension scheme, disability pension while girls of marriageable age of six families have been covered under the marriage scheme, said a NHRC statement on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the commission has sent notices to the secretary, ministry of labour and employment, principal secretary, department of labour and labour commissioner, Patna to submit reports on release of funds from the share of the central government in respect of 101 released bonded labourers as well as details about compensation of remaining amount from the state government within six weeks. A notice has also been sent to Madhubani district magistrate to submit a report on further steps taken for rehabilitation of the victims and status of all the cases pending investigation with police and pending adjudication before the courts within six weeks.
NHRC took cognizance of the matter after an NGO approached it last year in December alleging that more than 38 families were being exploited under an illegal bonded labour system in the revenue jurisdiction of Benipatti.