CHENNAI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the State Government on the relief and rehabilitation of 550 bonded labourers rescued from a brick kiln in Tiruvallur district.
The NHRC’s statement said it had taken note of the Express report of March 3 on 550 bonded labourers, including several women from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, rescued from a brick kiln in Ponneri taluk, Tiruvallur district.
The report had highlighted that the labourers were made to work from 3am for `400 for a family and were made to stay in deplorable conditions. Totally 180 families were rescued during the drive.
Quoting the revenue officials and the NGO - International Justice Mission India - who conducted the drive, the report highlighted as tohow one of the rescued women was refused permission to visit her sick husband, who died later.
Taking suo moto cognizance of this, the NHRC sent a notice to Kumar Jayant, secretary, Tamil Nadu Labour Department, stating the serious violation of the labourers’ human rights.
It wanted a factual report from the department in two weeks and asked the secretary to specify the steps taken to rehabilitate the freed bonded labourers along with details of payment made to them when they were released from the bondage.
Data state that Tiruvallur district topped the list of existing bonded labour practice in the State between 2005 and 2014. A total of 1250 bonded labourers were freed from Tiruvallur during this 10-year period.