The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to submit factual report on the debt bondage of Odisha workers in their respective States within two weeks.
The NHRC issued notice to the State Governments while taking suo motu cognisance of media reports that stated over three lakh workers form various western districts of Odisha are working in brick kilns of these States. They are in debt bondage and will not be able to cast their votes in the lok Sabha and Assembly polls to be held in Odisha on April 10 and 17.
“They would have to work at the brick kiln till mid-June because they had taken loans from labour agents with the promise of working from November to June,” said the media reports.