Bonded labourers were given rehabilitation assistance inBolangir (6thJanuary2015)by SudhirMishra/Bolangir ;49yet to get their assistance

News published intheEnglishdaily The Orissa Post,7thJanuary2015

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Bonded labourers  were given rehabilitation assistance inBolangir.

By

SudhirMishra/Bolangir

6thJanuary2015

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 Bolangir; After waiting for more than three years, the released Bonded Labourers were given  their rehabilitations assistance money from district administration.

Project Director DRDA Bolangir,SriPabitra Mandal  gave away the cheque/Bank draft of rupees 19000/-to the rescued and released Bonded labour on 6thJanuar2015.

A labourer who is rescued and released as Bonded Labour from his worksite with Bonded labour release certificate, is entitled to receive a sum of rupess20000/as rehabilitation assistance as stipulated under Bonded Labour(System) Abolition Act of1976.While rupees 1000/-is given to the rescued Bonded labour labourers on the spot, the rest 19,000/-is given to the labourers after area socio economic planning proposal approved and sanctioned by Panchati raj department .

 In Balangir district there are a total of 527 Bonded Labourers. Already the 215Bonded labourers have been given assistance. The Bolangir district administration is going to disburse the rehabilitation assistance of 263bondedlabourers of Bolangir district

While on 6^th January 162Bondedlaburers of Patnagarh,Khaprakhol, andBelpadawere given the rehabilitation assistance,
On the  8thof this month 101 Bondedlabourers of Muribahal, Tureikela, Loisingha,Bolangir and Saintala would be   given  assistance says on official here

It was first reported in The Pioneer and then put up before the NHRC camp inBhubneshwarinNov2014 and hearing the case NHRC directed the secretary Panchyati Raj department to immediately pay the money from own funds which  would be adjusted after receiving the  central assistance

The livelihood assistance plan has been prepared in consultation with beneficiaries and its implementation will be supervised /monitored by SEO and WEO of the concerned Block. A copy of livelihood plan has been kept with Block BDO, besides sending a copy of it to Panchyati Raj Department.

However this step by Bolangir district administration, civil society activist feels is “inadequate” and should be more comprehensive with a rehabilitation plan for their sustainable livelihood.

In  Bargarh district where all bonded labour families have been included in the social security schemes of the Government, the same is yet to be done in the district of Bolangir. The administration of Bolangir has failed to take up steps toward providing benefits like agricultural and homestead lands and other social security schemes as per the eligibility, to the bonded labour families, points out a social activist. The Bolangir district administration should prepare a comprehensive compressive rehabilitation assistance failing which they would likely to move to the NHRC again, says the social activist further.

Notwithstanding all this, other 49Bonded labourers have to wait for some time to get rehabilitation assistance

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