BENGALURU: The state-level committee for bonded labour observation has discovered 7,646 such workers in brick, stone crushing, carpet weaving, and beedi industries.
The committee, headed by Mr Shivaji Ganeshan, submitted its report to rural development and panchayat raj minister H.K. Patil with an observation that even labourers in coffee and tea estates were being treated as bonded labourers.
Speaking to the media after receiving the report, Mr Patil said the government would soon issue a notification, enabling the district administration to book criminal cases against landlords, who keep bonded labourers. The report noted that Bidar had the highest number of bonded labourers, at 1,357. Interestingly, Mysuru, the committee identified over 837 cases. “The block, taluk-level officials will be asked to identify bonded labourers in their respective jurisdiction and to initiate action to free them,” he added.
