\The Andhra Pradesh government has rescued Sundarmani Bag, a bonded labourer from brick-kilns, twice in the last 18 months and sent him back to Odisha.
Sundarmani, who is in his early twenties, hails from Malikmunda — a remote village in the poverty-stricken Bolangir district of Odisha. He is not reluctant to take up a job again in brick manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh.
Even as distress migration of labourers from Odisha and subsequent torture at workplaces in other States is worsening, the State government here is yet to wake up to address the situation.
“I was rescued twice as a bonded labourer from Rangareddy (Telengana) in 2013 and Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh in February 2014. The brick-kiln operators were not paying the basic minimum wage I was entitled to. The accommodation provided to us was no better than animal sheds,” Sundarmani told The Hindu . He is yet to be rehabilitated.
As per Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, upon liberation from bondage, these workers are supposed to be paid Rs. 20,000 as rehabilitation assistance. However, the Odisha government has not shown any urgency to pay the compensation.
In the last four years, around 1,200 workers from Odisha have been rescued from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as bonded labourers. But the legitimate compensation has not been given to most of the workers.
In Bolangir district, out of 624 workers who were identified as bonded labourers, only 215 workers have received the compensation. Similarly, compensation was paid to 91 bonded labourers in Nuapada, 24 in Nabarangpur and 17 in Subarnapur districts.
In the recent past, the Odisha government was forced to act and provide succour to migrant workers only when the media collectively highlighted the plight of workers. However, respective district administrations are not taking steps to prevent distress migration.
In January this year, 12-year-old Sushant Kumbhar from Bolangir district was tortured by a brick kiln operator in Karnataka; he returned to Odisha with a twisted arm.
After the plight of the boy made headlines, the State had to bear his medical expenses. Twelve other villagers from Susant’s village have been rescued and released as bonded labourers. However, they are yet to be paid the rehabilitation assistance.
According to the State government, as on March this year, 1,19,001 migrant workers were sent to other States through 3,044 labour agents under Interstate Migrant Workmen Act 1979.
Researchers, however, termed the figure as grossly under reported. They said over 3 lakh labourers including minor children from western Odisha districts migrate to work in other States annually.
