The helpline number provides a direct route to justice for those trapped in bonded labour
Telangana government launched a helpline for bonded labourers (Photo: By Arrangement)
Hyderabad: Most people think bonded labour is a thing of the past. Darshanam Venkatanna, 48, knows otherwise. He spent a year and a half mixing cement and sand, waking at 4 am and working till 8 or 9 pm. “They never let me rest, not even when I was sick. They’d take me to the hospital, but then cut the money from my pay,” he said. He and his wife worked as bonded labourers, got paid `3,000 a month, and lived in tents by a lake where snakes often slithered in. No one intervened until a few coworkers contacted officials which prompted a rescue.
On Labour Day, Telangana’s new helpline to report bonded labour comes as a small step towards justice for many like him. Launched in April by the state’s labour department, the toll-free number 8069434343 is the first of its kind in the state. It operates under the Central government’s 2021 scheme for bonded labour rehabilitation, meant to help victims find redress, safety, and support.
Bonded labour is banned by law but thrives in corners where oversight is weak. Often found in construction, agriculture and kilns, victims rarely report abuse. The absence of a direct mechanism has allowed exploitation to continue. The helpline is part of a wider attempt to fix that, supported by a series of training sessions for district officials and awareness campaigns.
Philip Isidore, who works with the Bonded Labour Coalition, called it a timely move. “This helpline provides a direct route to justice for those trapped in bonded labour. We’re working with the government to ensure standardised responses and hope to integrate a data-driven approach that can track and address bonded labour cases effectively,” he said.
Bonded labour remains underreported in Telangana, primarily due to the lack of comprehensive data since it operates in the informal economy. The department has begun capacity-building training for district-level officers. These training sessions, which began in March in Warangal, will equip officials with the tools needed to identify, rescue and rehabilitate bonded labourers while prosecuting offenders.
Venkatanna now works as a mistri. He attends local awareness meetings and shares his experience when he can. “Had this number existed earlier, we wouldn’t have lost so much time,” he said.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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