In an operation conducted by revenue officials, 38 labourers were rescued from a brick kiln in Lakkur under Malur police limits in Kolar district on Thursday.
A team of officials led by Assistant Commissioner C.N. Manjunath conducted the raid on NBW Brick Factory owned by Srinivasappa and rescued six child labourers and 32 bonded labourers. “All the rescued are from Bolangir district of Odisha. Arrangements are being made to send them to their native,” Mr. Manjunath said.
The raid was carried out by the team consisting Malur tahsildar Girish and revenue inspector Narayanaswamy after receiving a letter by the district authorities from the Chief Secretary of Karnataka.
The brick kiln owner has been accused of harassment by restricting movement of the workers and their families. Damayanthi, wife of a worker, who is in her eighth month of pregnancy, was not allowed to go to her native for delivery. This is a glaring case of how the kiln owner was exploiting the workers, Mr. Manjunath said.
Cases under provisions of the Prevention of Bonded Labour Act and Child Labour Act have been registered against the kiln owner. Some of the workers, who managed to return to their villages in Odisha in the past, explained their ordeal to the local authorities there. The Odisha authorities wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, who in turn directed the Kolar Deputy Commissioner to take action, Mr. Manjunath said.
Release certificates will be issued to the workers and their wages will be settled. They will be sent to Bolangir by train on Friday morning, he added.
