In the matter pertaining to the State Government’s alleged failure to implement the six directives issued by the Supreme Court on May 5, 2004 with regard to survey, liberation and rehabilitation of bonded labourers, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued summons to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary Panchayati Raj Department of the State Government to appear before the commission in person and present a report on June 17.
The NHRC, while issuing the summons, cited that despite being given sufficient time and opportunity, the State Government has not filed the report the commission had asked for.It further said the Commissioner-cum-Secretary would be exempted from personal appearance if the report is received on or before June 10, 2014.
Notably, the NHRC issued the summons on the basis of a complaint filed by human rights activist Baghambar Patnaik before the commission on October 27, 2012 alleging that the State Government had completely failed in implementing the six directives of the Supreme Court issued on May 5, 2004 with regard to survey, liberation and rehabilitation of bonded labourers.
Earlier, Panchayati Raj Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, in his interim report filed on June 4 last year, had pleaded for three month’ time from the commission for filing the complete report while informing that bonded labourer vigilance committees had been constituted at the district and sub-division levels.The commission, while granting the plea, had directed the Government to file its report on the issue by December 24, 2013.
As the State failed to file its report by the stipulated date, the NHRC on December 30, 2013 had sent its final notice to the Secretary allowing it four weeks’ time to file its report.