By
SudhirMishra/Bolangir
12th November2015
Bonded Labourers of Western Odisha are yet to get Rehabilitation Assistance.
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Bolangir; Even though the rehabilitation of laboueres ,especially the Bonded Labour release with Bonded labour release certificate years ago, should receive top priority ,however thanks to apathy of officials, they are yet to get their “rehabilitation assistance” ,much to the chagrin of many.
As per the BondedLabour Systems (Abolitions)Act of 1976, a labourer released as Bonded labourer, is entitled to get assistance of rupees 20,000/. While rupees one1000 is given on the spot and the rest19000rupess is given to them at the home state.
The total amount of release assistance is shared by both the State and Central Government on 50;50basis;whiletheCenter gives rupees 10,000/ the state Government gives other 10000 rupees.
Most of the Bondeed labourers hails from the ten backward and migrant ion prone districts of western Odisha.
We don’t have Bonded labourer in our district. We get them as Bonded Labourer with the release certificate after they are rescued from outside State .So far 146Bonded labourers of Nuapada district are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance. We have sent their proposal to Panchyat Raj Department, which has been pending there since last one and half years says a DRDA official of Nuapdaa.
In Bolangir district officially 94 proposals of Bonded labourers, which includes 38male, 32 female and 24 children’s are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance is pending with panchyatiRaj Department .
In Kalhandi district 54Bondedlabouers are yet to receive their assistance, says DilipDas ofKalhandi .
Besides Bolangir,Kalhandi,Nuapada, in Bargarh district ,unofficially the number of Bonded labourers yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance stands at 104.
(The rehabilitation assistance money of Bonded labour of Bolangir district was lying with Panchyatri Raj department was for more than two years and after it was published in The Pioneer and it was put before the National Human RightsCommission(NHRC) three day camp court held at Bhubneshwaron 10-12Novermber2014,,the NHRC issued notice to Bolngir collector to give money them first and a total of 251 Bonded labourers were given rehabilitation assistance in two phase .
By giving rupees 19,000/- the district administration believe that its responsibility is over .Where as the Bonded labourer should be rehabilitated with a comprehensive planning and by providing linkages with all the social security schemes, Job work, land development and other programme so that these labourers would live a decent living and would not migrate again. In Bargarh district the district administration initiated steps to provide land to less bonded labourer, opines aNGO activist.
Moreover the Bonded labourers should receive priority in getting Indira Awaaas Yojana as mentioned in the guideline which hardly followed properly opines an NGO activist.
There seem to be gap between officials and people representatives of this region on this issue .
“I was not appraised about the Bonded labour assistance of 146 Bonded labourers pending at Bhubneshwar since last one and half year .I would look into this issue” says BasantPanda MLA Nuapada to this correspondent.
Apparently taking a cue from Bolangir bonded labourgetting assistance last year and peeved at the apathy of officials towards santctioning of Rehabilitation assistance money peopleof Nuapada are contemplating to move toNHRC to address the issue .
“We are going to submit a petition to NHRC about Bonded laboureers of Nuapada district not getting their rehabilitation assistance money since last one and half year ,says Fanindam Deo of Nuapadadistrict to this correspondent..
