labourers in western Odisha, who have either been rescued or released by district administrations form workplaces outside their home districts, have resolved to write to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) soon for availing rehabilitation assistances under the Bonded labour systems(Abolition and Rehabilitations) Act 1976.
The bonded labourers took this decision on the concluding day of a tow-day leadership development training programmed organised for them here. It was revealed that a total of 591 bonded labourers of Bolangir, Bargarh, Nuapada and Sonepur districts are yet to get rehabilitation assistance. Balangir district has the highest number of 372 labourers to get rehabilitation assistance. Similarly, 102 labourers each in Nuapada and Bargarh district and 15 in Sonepur district in the list.
The labourers expressed unhappiness that they are not being provided jobs under the MGNREGA projects and the district administration are still to prepare livelihood plans for them. Such lackadaisical attitude of the Government would certainly encourage poor people to go outside in search of work, apprehended activists working for them.
“We are yet to get tag of nirman shramiks (construction workers). The amount given to us as rehabilitation assistance is woefully inadequate,” said some participants. The programme organised by the Migration Information Resource Centre, Aide Et Action, Bhubneshwar, was inaugurated jointly by UMI Daniel and SarojBarik, Satyajit, Prasant Nayak Dayasagar. Bonded labourers belonging to the above four districts shared their ordeal.