Check bonded labour: NHRC

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 16

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has suggested setting up a “task force” to examine challenges in implementation of measures to eradicate bonded labour.

The need for an in-depth study on “ineffective” implementation of the law was underlined by experts at a two-day seminar organised by the commission, which concluded here yesterday.

Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya also addressed it. He had urged the commission and experts to come up with suggestions to root out the social malaise.

In the cross-hairs of the experts was apathy in implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1948.

The NHRC will soon send a formal report incorporating the suggestions to the Union Labour Ministry as bonded labour relates to it.

NHRC Chairperson and former Chief Justice HL Dattu said despite plethora of laws and schemes “the records of national governance, public investment and development action yield little matching evidence of substantive work towards elimination of bonded labour”.

“As long as there is poverty, unemployment, underemployment, landlessness, migration, indebtedness, the pernicious bonded labour system will continue,” he said.

Other suggestions include revision in the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, to bring parity in the wages of skilled labour with the lowest paid employee of the Central government as per the seventh pay commission.