‘RESCUED’
BONDED LABOUR DIES IN POVERTY
Saturday, 08 February 2014 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar
The Government’s schemes to provide livelihood support to
migrant labourers remain a non-starter in this district. It is evident from the
fact that one of the four of a family, who were provided with bonded labour
certificates to get such support, died recently after struggling for a year to
get the support.
The other three members are still struggling to get the support
for their survival. According to reports, Pitabasa Padhan and
three others of his family belonging to Phatabahal village of Kusmel gram
panchayat under Loisingha block were rescued along with 128 other migrant
labourers by Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district administration from a brick kiln
in the district in December 2013. Later, they were issued bonded labour
certificates by the district administration here and thus became entitled for
Government’s livelihood support as per Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act,
1976.
But the family members moved from pillar to post to get the
support. In the meantime, Pitabasa developed peptic ulcer and needed more money
for treatment. As others of his family members are daily wage earners, Pitabasa
could not get proper treatment and ultimately died on December 29, 2013. His wife and two daughters having bonded labour certificates are
still struggling for the livelihood support.
A team of officials of Migration Information Resource Center
(MIRC) of Aide et Action visited the bereaved family recently and took the
matter up with Sub-Collector and PD DRDA, Balangir on Thursday. The district administration would extend financial assistance of
Rs 20,000 under the National Family Benefit Scheme if Pitabasa’s family comes
under the BPL category. Besides, his widow would also get pension, said PD DRDA
Pabitra Mandal.
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