ONGOLE: In a significant rescue operation, Prakasam district authorities, alongside police and NGO representatives, freed 40 individuals from bonded labour at two shrimp farms near Ananthavaram village of Tanguturu mandal.
The rescued group comprised 17 individuals from Odisha and 23 from Chhattisgarh, including 11 women and a minor.
The operation, conducted over the weekend, targeted Golden Aqua Farm and Ram Brothers Aqua Farm, with raids in Tanguturu, Pakaala, and Pasukuduru areas. Cases have been filed against the farm managements under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, and Minimum Wages Act.
Prakasam Collector Thameem Ansariya issued relief certificates to the labourers and ensured their safe return to their native states, coordinating with officials from Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The rescued workers were initially moved to a relief centre in Ongole after their statements were recorded at the Tanguturu PS.
The labourers, trafficked from vulnerable tribal and rural communities in Koraput and Malkangiri in Odisha, and Bastar, Dantewada, and Kanker in Chhattisgarh, were subjected to inhumane conditions. They were lured with a Rs 15,000 advance via UPI and promises of decent jobs, and faced exploitation upon arrival.
Confined to temporary sheds, they were forced to dig ponds and feed shrimp without adequate food, rest, or wages.
Their mobile phones were seized, and some reported physical abuse with iron rods and threats to ensure compliance. The case surfaced when one labourer escaped and filed a complaint, prompting swift coordination between Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh authorities. “This is a grave violation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act and the Indian Penal Code,” said a representative from an anti-trafficking NGO.
The shrimp industry in Andhra Pradesh, a key contributor to India’s seafood exports, has faced growing criticism for labour rights violations. Weak enforcement and interstate operations have allowed such exploitation to persist. A 2023 case in point saw 33 labourers from Jharkhand rescued from similar conditions in Machilipatnam and Ongole, but lax legal action enabled perpetrators to continue unchecked.
Authorities are now focusing on ensuring justice for the victims and addressing systemic issues in the industry to prevent future violations. Sunil, Convener of a coalition of NGOs, emphasised the need for stricter legal consequences.