A brick kiln owner in Ponneri taluk, Tiruvallur district, was arrested on Thursday on charges of engaging workers from other States as ‘bonded labourers' in his establishment.
According to official sources, the Revenue Divisional Officer, Ponneri, Kandasamy received information on April 26 that a large number of families hailing from northern States, were working in a brick kiln unit at Ponthavakkam near Arani.
He along with local police inspected the unit on Tuesday where he found that a total of 144 families from Uttar Pradesh and Orissa were residing there in the shelters provided by the brick kiln owner.
The workers claimed that said that they were engaged by the kiln owner for manufacturing of bricks.
Subsequently, all of them – 191 male, 203 female and 132 children – were shifted to the Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Ponneri in more than 10 vehicles engaged by the local revenue officials. Food was provided to them at the school on Tuesday night and also on Wednesday, sources said.
After gathering information about their employment and other particulars, revenue officials preferred a complaint with the Ponneri police against the brick kiln owner, Krishna Rao, stating that the later had engaged the workers from other States as bonded labourers. Subsequently, Krishna Rao was arrested.
In the meantime, District Revenue Department has established links with their counterparts in Orissa and Uttar Pradesh for safe transportation of affected workers back to their respective native places.
Prior to their commencement of journey to native places, the officials said, Rs.1,000 would be distributed to each rescued adult as financial assistance. Meanwhile, the Collector, T.P.Rajesh has warned that stern action would be initiated against employers if they were found engaged workers in their establishments against the legal norms for engaging workers / labourers.
