The Vijayapura district administration has rescued 20 bonded labour from Vikarabad district of Telangana State from a construction site in Sankh village of Indi taluk.
Deputy Commissioner Y.S. Patil said here on Friday that the rescue operation was carried out by Assistant Commissioner of Indi Snehal Lokhande along with police and officials from the Labour Department.
He said that action was taken after a complaint was received from a non-government organisation, National Adivasi Solidarity Council, stating that 20 persons were being forced to work as bonded labour by a Belagavi-based construction company, Aditya Constructions.
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The complaint was received on November 25, 2019, following which Mr. Patil directed the Indi officials to conduct a survey.
“During the survey, the officials found that these 20 persons — 13 men, six women and a child — were kept in a hut and made to work at Sankh village where a canal work is going on,” he said.
Mr. Patil said that during the interaction, these persons said that they were working since two months between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. They were forced to live in a hut without being given any other facility nor did they were given freedom to go out.
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“Initially, they were told that they would be given wages but they have been working without being paid any. The workers also complained that they were not given any medical facility and not allowed to go out of the hut. The agency had deployed two security personnel to prevent them from going out. After going through all information and being convinced that these persons were forced to work as bonded labour, the rescue operation was carried out,” Mr. Patil said.
He said that these 20 were rescued three days ago and kept in a private marriage hall where they were given temporary shelter.
Meanwhile, information was sent to Deputy Commissioner of Vikarabad asking him to make arrangements to receive these people.
A case has also been booked against the agency, Mr. Patil said.