The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Collector of Nalgonda district of Telangana to issue release certificates to the bonded labourers of Ranimunda village of Khariar block in Nuapada district who were rescued from a brick kiln of Ramnagar in Telangana in December 2017.
The NHRC has also directed the Odisha Labour Secretary, the ESI department and the Nuapada Collector to disburse a rehabilitation package to the concerned labourers and submit report to the commission within six months.
Human rights activist Dilip Kumar Dash of Bhawanipatna had drawn the NHRC’s attention to a news report about the bondage of 40 labourers, including 10 children, in a brick kiln located in Ramnagar under the Katanagur police station of Telangana in December 2017. As per the direction of the NHRC, the Nalgonda Collector had rescued the labourers from the kiln and a case was initiated in the name of the employer. However; the concerned authorities in Telangana did not issue the released certificates which resulted in denial of rehabilitation packages to the rescued labourers.
It is learnt from that the Nuapada Collector had written to the concerned authorities in Telangana to issue release certificates, but there was no response. "Rehabilitation package will be immediately disbursed as soon as the certificates are received," said an official of Nuapada DRDA, which is the nodal agency to initiate steps for distribution of rehabilitation relief.