The Centre on Monday decided to implement a special livelihood project in the two districts of the State in order to put an end to bonded labour menace.
In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the project would be implemented under the National Rural livelihood Mission (NRlM) in 10 critically vulnerable districts including Odisha’s two-Balangir and Nuapada.
The NGOs will be an institutional partner of the ‘Bandhua (bondage in Hindi) Campaign, 1947’ to combat bonded labour, the missive said.
The decision assumes significance in the wake of an incident recently occurred in Kalahandi district in which palms of two migrant labourers were chopped off by some contractors on December 15 this year.
Ramesh said bonded labourers will be identified through self-help groups (SHGs) and they will be provided with alternative livelihood and proper rehabilitation. They will be given soft loans, vulnerability reduction funds and special projects for alternative livelihoods including skill development interventions.
“The Mission would appoint a State-level point person to monitor and ensure that objectives and activities are executed in letter and spirit,” he said.
Commenting on compensation announced by the State Government for the two victims, Ramesh said “Keeping politics aside, we must all acknowledge that Odisha is one of the worst-affected States on the issue of bonded labour”.
According to NRlM Chief Operating Officer Sarada Mulaleedharan, the State Rural livelihood Missions (SRlMs) would be the leading partners of the project.