NEW DELHI: The bonded labour system is still continuing in the country which is a matter of "utter shame", NCP member Vandana Chavan said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and alleged that the government lacks seriousness to rehabilitate the victims.
Citing a report of the global slavery index, the NCP leader said it is estimated that eight million people are living in slavery in 2016.
"This amounts to 6.1 victims for every thousand people," she said adding this is happening despite bonded labour being prohibited by the Constitution.
She was speaking in the Upper House during a discussion on the working of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Alleging that the government lacks seriousness in rehabilitating people freed from bonded labour, Chavan said the overall fund released in 2017-18 was Rs 664.6 lakh, which was dramatically decreased by 60 per cent.
The following year it was just Rs 253 lakh only and surprisingly the Ministry of Labour & Employment did not spend a single rupee on rehabilitation in 2019-20.
"Bonded labour system is like cancer in our society and we all have been very concerned about it," she added.
Ram Nath Thakur (JDU) asked the government to consider paying unemployment allowance to labourers who have lost their jobs due to the closure of factories recently.
Chandraprabha of the BJP said the present government has made several changes in the labour laws for the welfare of the people working in organised and unorganised sectors.
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale alleged the previous governments did not do enough for labour welfare.
He also demanded the abolition of the contractual labour system for sanitation workers.
Ramkumar Verma of the BJP noted that the labour ministry has come up with a database for the unorganised workers.
Syed Nasir Hussain criticised the government, claiming no jobs are being created.
This government is giving sweeping powers to employers as it is increased the number required to form a union from 100 to 300.
This has taken their collective bargaining powers from employees, he added.
Sanjay Singh of AAP asked the government to bring an Act to provide legal status to hawkers to protect their interests in urban areas.
Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai referred to the strike by central trade unions against "rising inflation and uncontrollable fuel rise".
"Their household budget was completely disturbed. These are problems with which every Indian is grappling today," Desai said.
He said the organised workforce, which is about 10 per cent of the total labour force mainly working in the public sector like banks, insurance companies, railways, oil sector, post and telegraph shipping, has not seen new recruitments for years together.
"Banks and Insurance companies have been hiring new talent on a fixed-term contract basis. Chartered accounts, postgraduates, legal experts are offering their service and after the expiry of two years they are left in the lurch," Desai said.
Congress member P Bhattacharya asked for stringent rules for punishing violators of child labour laws.
IUML member Abdul Wahab asked the government to skill women, especially those who are less educated and reduce the disparity in wages between men and women.
He demanded the setting up of vocation skill development centres for women only.
The BJP's Ram Chander Jangra, Jai Prakash Nishad and Deepak Prakash, TMC (M) member GK Vasan, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha and TDP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar also participated in the discussion.
In a special mention, Dola Sen of Trinamool Congress (AITC)asked the government to ensure full utilisation of funds and focus on the implementation of the child labour project.
Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena asked the Centre to release the grant in aid for the development of the medical device park proposed to be set up at AURIC as promised under the scheme for the promotion of bulk drugs park.
P Wilson (DMK) raised the need for bullet trains between Chennai and Delhi, Chennai to Kolkata and Chennai to Mumbai.
He also called for the completion of railway projects in Tamil Nadu and the release of pending funds for the same Suresh Gopi of the BJP raised the demand to check studies violating the National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research involving human participants.
Sushil Kumar Modi raised the issues of problems faced by retailers ranging from obtaining dozens of licences to loans.
On July 22, 2019, the Ministry of Commerce had notified the formation of a National Traders Welfare Board, which is yet to be done, he said.
BJP's Kirorilal Meena, S Selvaganabathy, Sakaldeep Rajbhar, Chaya Verma of INC, Nadimul Haque of AITC, Sujeet Kumar and Amar Patnaik of BJD also participated.