705 MIGRANT LABOURERS RESCUED IN BALANGIR Thursday, 24 December 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

705 MIGRANT LABOURERS RESCUED IN BALANGIR

Thursday, 24 December 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Acting on a tipoff, a team of the Titiligrah police led by DSP Dilip Purohit along with Titilagarh Sub-Collector Kailash Sahu and labour officials rescued as many as 705 migrant labourers, including 193 children (below 14years of age), from the Bilaspur-Tirupati Express  train at the Titilagarh railway station in Balangir district on Tuesday evening.

The labourers, who were being sent to work in brick kilns of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, mostly belong to different areas of Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts, said a police official.

The rescued labourers were sent back to their homes and eight middlemen were detained in this connection, informed a labour official to this correspondent over phone.

SUPPORT SUKTEL PROJECT, B’NGIR DM URGES VILLAGERS Wednesday, 16 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR |

SUPPORT SUKTEL PROJECT, B’NGIR DM URGES VILLAGERS

Wednesday, 16 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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The villagers need to cooperate wholeheartedly for the implementation of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project, said district Collector of Balangir here. The project would affect 29 villages, but is essential to provide enhanced irrigation facility in Balangir district, he said.

Collector M Muthukumar while presiding over a meeting of village representatives of Lower Suktel project area on Tuesday urged the people to support the dam for the larger interest of the district.

Muthukumar informed that the project cost would touch Rs 3,000 crore when it is completed and the Government has already spent Rs 500 crore on it.

Since enhanced irrigation facility is necessary for drought-prone Balangir district, the implementation of the project assumes a lot of importance. The Government has targeted to complete the project by 2019, Muthukumar asserted.

Participating in the discussion, pro Suktel dam villagers from Pardhiapali complained of non receipt of total compensation payment and the risk of living nearby the project area due to blasting and other activities.

The villagers also alleged huge corruptions in payment of compensation amount. To get compensation amount one has to pay a bribe of Rs 30,000, alleged a villager in the meeting, much to the embarrassment of the district Collector.

The villagers demanded that the administration move to their village and settle the dispute by coming face-to-face with the villagers.

The concept and design of partially submerged village is totally misleading and wrong. 50 per cent of the village Barpudgia, a partially affected village, would submerge and the rest would be encircled by water once the dam is constructed. The rain water would further encircle them. In such a situation where would the people go, the villagers asked.

So it is better to have a relook on the concept of partially submerged village, pointed out Baishnab Mishra, participating in the discussion. Besides this three other villages like Dhulusar, Barpita and Chudapali would also face the same situation once the project is completed, Mishra suggested.

He also opined for onetime payment of compensation to villagers .He demanded implementation of Land Acquisition Act 2013 for speedy execution of the project.

Where is land available for displaced ST people? As per the rule a person is entitled to five acres of land. The district administration does not have information on this, said Satya Banchhor of Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad.

“The members of Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad are opposing the Lower Suktel Project since the beginning. We are for zero displacement and construction of check dams to provide irrigation. We would continue to oppose the dam,” said Udaysingh Thakur of the Sangram Parishad

The Suktel project was constructed without having necessary environment and forest clearances and a case is pending with the National Green Tribunal, said Byasa Thanapati.

He quoted the NHRC directives to the district administration on police excess against agitating villagers opposing construction of the project two years ago.

The police cases against people should be dropped and a proposal to this effect should be moved to the Government, said Baishnab Mishra further.

Collector Muthukumar directed the officials to go to the villages to settle the people’s genuine concerns and stressed on taking measures to give money through E-transfer to avoid corruption.

BONDED LABOURERS RESCUED, NOT REHABILITATED Friday, 11 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

Thursday, 10 December 2015

BONDED LABOURERS RESCUED, NOT REHABILITATED Friday, 11 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

NEWS IN ENGLISH DAILY THE PIONEER

BONDED LABOURERS RESCUED, NOT REHABILITATED

Friday, 11 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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I had gone to a brick kiln of Andhra Pradesh in 2012 to work as a labourer. But I along with many others were rescued and given release certificate after some time. We were assured of release of Rs 19, 000 at home. However, after returning home, I approached the local block officials and was told to contact both BDO and WEO to get the rehabilitation assistance. I submitted papers to them but till today, I have not received the money,” lamented Ragu Deep of Dumerpitha village of Deogaon block.

Dhuba Chinagur of Saan Patrapali of Naren gram panchayat of Titilagarh also had similar version. “I was rescued from a brick kiln of Tamil Nadu in 2011.  After returning here, I submitted the documents to the block officials for my rehabilitation assistance. However, they did not listen to us.”

Several bonded labourers of Balangir district staged a dharna before the Collectorate on occasion the Human Rights Day demanding immediate payment of their rehabilitation assistance and their inclusion in different social security schemes. They also demanded a comprehensive plan for their proper rehabilitation.

About 276 bonded labourers of Balangir district are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance. We demand that the rehabilitation assistance be paid to them immediately and a comprehensive social security and livelihood plan be prepared and implemented for proper rehabilitation, said Dadan and Goti Surakshya Manch president Motilal Tandi.

“A total of 1,208 bonded  labourers in Odisha, which includes around 100 children and 500 women, were legally released and freed from bondage from the brick kilns by the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka State Governments and repatriated them to Odisha between 2011 and 2014. As per the Bonded Labour Systems (Abolition) Act 1976, these legally released bonded labourers have the right to receive rehabilitation assistance of Rs 20,000. The rehabilitation assistance amount is shared by both the State and Central Governments.

While the State Government contributes 50 per cent of the assistance, the rest 50 per cent is borne by the Central Government, pointed out a civil society activist.

The Bonded Labour Systems (Abolitions) Act 1976 also envisages that the State Government should take such steps that the labourers released should not get into further bondage situation. Also, they are entitled to get Government entitlements to reduce the distress condition, he opined.

According to unofficial sources, 269 labourers in Balangir, 124 in Nuapada, 104 in Bargarh, 15 in Sonepur,12 in Sambalpur, eight in Gajapati, seven in Rayagada and five in Nabarangpur are yet to get the rehabilitation assistance.

Bonded labourers up in arms, seek rehab December 10 2015

News in Orissa Post

Bonded labourers up in arms, seek rehab

December 10 2015

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Bolangir, Dec 10: Hundred of bonded labourers, rescued from different corners of the country and brought here for rehabilitation, Thursday held a dharna against the authorities as they allegedly reneged on their assurance to rehabilitate them.

They alleged that years have passed since they were rescued from bondage but the government is sitting on their applications to rehabilitate them as they were promised. Several representations to the authorities  have proved futile. Irate over the prolonged apathy by the administration, bonded labourers in the district, considered to be a hotbed of bonded labour in the state, came together to sit on a dharna. 

“I had gone to a brick-kiln in Andhra Pradesh in 2012. We were rescued and given released certificates with an assurance that Rs 19,000 would be given to us in our home state. After returning home, I approached the local block officials and I was told to contact BDO and WEO to get the rehabilitation assistance. I submitted  papers to them. But till today I have not received the assistance as envisaged in the bonded labour system (abolitions) Actof 1976,” said Ragu Deep of Dumerpitha village of Deogaon block in this district.

I had gone to a brick kiln in Tamil Nadu in 2011 and we were rescued from there. After returning here I submitted the documents to block officials. They did not listen to our demands. Till today I have not received rehabilitation assistance from the block, said Dhuba Chinagur of Saan Patrapali of Naren GP of Titiligarh.

Several Bonded laboueres of Bolangir district staged a dharna before the Collectorate on occasion the Human Rights Day Thursday, demanding immediate payment of their pending rehabilitation assistance and their inclusion in different social security schemes and a comprehensive plan for their proper rehabilitation.

So far 276 bonded labourers of Bolangir district are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance. “We demand that rehabilitation assistance be paid to us immediately and a comprehensive social security and livelihood plan be prepared and implemented for proper rehabilitation, says Motlial Tandi, president of Dadan and Goti Surakshya Manch, Bolangir.

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K'handi pregnant woman killed at Telangana kiln Saturday, 05 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

K'handi pregnant woman killed at Telangana kiln

Saturday, 05 December 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Yet another heartrending incident of torture meted out to a woman labourer leading to her death from western Odisha at a brick kiln in Telangana has come to the fore. The shocking part was that the perpetrators did not care that the poor woman was pregnant and sick on the day and on her denying to work they beat her to death.
The deceased woman was identified as Surya Bag (25) of Palipada village near Narla in Kalahandi district. She was brutally assaulted by brick kiln owner at Peddapalli, Ananth Peta of Karim Nagar district in Telangana.
According to reports, Jitendra Bag, a landless and daily wager from Kalahandi district, migrated after Nuankhai with his wife late Surya along with his two daughters and a son of (1 year).
Jitendra took advance of Rs 34,000 (for both husband and wife) from a middleman Mujib Khan of Lathor in Balangir district and along with around 110 people of his village migrated to worksite of brick kiln owner B Shyam of Telangana after the Nuankhai.
According to reports, from the beginning, the owner tried to exploit labourers to work day and night with very less food and without proper facility of stay and drinking water. When the labourers resisted, he started abusing and beating them severely. While the labourers complained to the middleman, he did not pay much heed.
According to reports, Surya was pregnant for four months and not feeling good and ready to go to work. However, the munsi and staff members of the kiln owner allegedly forced her to work and on her refusal they beat her severely.
“The supervisor along with two others assaulted my wife for not coming to work. I begged them not to beat up her. But they did not listen and brutally beat up her leading to her death,” said Jiten.
They also beat other labourers who came to Surya’s rescue. Three days after the brutal assault on her, Surya died on December 3 last.
According to reports, the labourers rushed to local labour office, 2.5 km from the worksite, and lodged a complaint. Police seized the body and conducted postmortem. No case was registered intially.
                Continued on Page 4
K'handi pregnant woman killed at Telangana kiln


A team of officials of Aide et Action (an international NGO working on migrant labour and bonded labour issue) from Hyderabad rushed to the spot on December 4 and facilitated to file a case against the owner and his staff.
Revenue Divisional Officer Venkat Ram Reddy along with Deputy Commissioner of Labour came to handle the case. A case was filed against all accused. The brick kiln was sealed by the authorities and Rs 70,000 was given to Jitendra’s family as ex-gratia.

KANTABANJI MLA GETS DEATH THREAT VIA SMS Sunday, 29 November 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

KANTABANJI MLA GETS DEATH THREAT VIA SMS

Sunday, 29 November 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Kantabanji BJD MLA Ayub Khan has received death threat via SMSs on November 23.

The SMSs said that the sender is a “Maoist” without specifying the any organisation of the Red rebels he or she belongs to.

“While I was holding a review meeting on November 23, two SMSs, one at 12.27 pm and another at 6.12 pm, came on my mobile phone. When I checked the missed calls and other messages in around 8 pm, I found the threatening message which warned to kill me within 10 days. I reported the matter at the Kantabanji police station on November 24,” said Khan to this correspondent.

“We have registered a case at the Kantabanji police station and investigation is on,” said Balangir SP Deepak Kumar when contacted. “Preliminary inquiry indicates that a person is doing mischief, and we hope to nab the culprit soon,” the SP added.

WESTERN DISTS: HUNDREDS OF BONDED LABOURERS DENIED REHAB Friday, 20 November 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

News in English daily the Pioneer

WESTERN DISTS: HUNDREDS OF BONDED LABOURERS DENIED REHAB

Friday, 20 November 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Even though the rehabilitation of labourers, especially the bonded labourers who are certified to have been released, should receive top priority in getting due rehabilitation from the Government, that’s not happening.

As per the Bonded Labour Systems (Abolitions) Act 1976, a labourer released is entitled to get assistance of Rs20,000. While Rs1,000 is given on the spot, the rest Rs19,000 is given at later stage. The total amount of release assistance is shared by both the State and Central Governments on 50-50 basis.

In Odisha, most of the bonded labourers hail from ten backward and migration prone districts of western districts.

“So far 146 bonded labourers of Nuapada district are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance. We have sent their proposal to the Panchayati Raj Department, which has been pending there since last one and a half years,” says a DRDA official of Nuapda.

In Balangir district, officially 94 proposals of bonded labourers, which include 38 males, 32 females and 24 children, are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance and the same proposals are pending with the Panchayati Raj Department. In  alahandi district, 54 bonded labourers are yet to receive their assistance, says activist Dilip Das of Kalahandi. Besides, Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada, in Bargarh district, unofficially the number of bonded labourers who are yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance stands at 104, said sources.

Notably, the rehabilitation assistance money of the rescued bonded labourers of Balangir district was pending with the Panchayati Raj Department for more than two years and after it was published in The Pioneer, it was put before the NHRC’s three-day camp court held at Bhubneswar on November 10-12, 2014. The NHRC issued notice to the Balangir Collector to take immediate steps for release of the money  and as a consequence, a total of 251 bonded labourers were given rehabilitation assistance in two phases.

“By giving Rs19,000, the district administration believes that its responsibility is over. Whereas the bonded labourers should be rehabilitated with a comprehensive planning and by providing linkages with all the social security schemes, job work, land development and other programmes 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 landless bonded labourers,” opines an NGO activist.

Moreover, the bonded labourers should receive priority in getting Indira Awas Yojana houses as mentioned in the guideline which is hardly followed, he adds.

There seems to be a gap between officials and people’s representatives of the region on the issue. “I was not appraised about the bonded labour assistance of 146 labourers pending at Bhubneshwar since last one and a half years. I would look into this issue,” says Nuapada MLA Basant Panda.

Apparently taking a cue from Balangir bonded labour getting assistance last year and peeved over the apathy of officials towards sanctioning of rehabilitation assistance money, people of Nuapada are contemplating to move the NHRC to get justice.

“We are going to submit a petition to the NHRC about bonded labourers of Nuapada district not getting their rehabilitation assistance money since last one and a half years,” says Fanindam Deo of Nuapada district to this correspondent.