The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said in a communication to the Punjab government that labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who work in agricultural fields in the State are drugged, exploited and meted out inhuman treatment. The Ministry asked the State government to take appropriate measures to address the serious problem.
The Ministry said that 58 mentally challenged people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were found working as bonded labourers in the border districts of the State by the Border Security Force (BSF) in 2019 and 2020.
In a communication to the Chief secretary of Punjab, the Ministry said the BSF found that the workers were brought to Punjab on the promise of a good salary but they were exploited, given drugs and forced to work in inhuman conditions. The BSF has said that these labourers were rescued from the border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar in Punjab.
“During the course of questioning, it emerged that most of them were either mentally challenged or were in a feeble state of mind and have been working as bonded labourers with farmers in border villages of Punjab. The persons apprehended belong to poor family background and hail from remote areas of the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” the letter dated March 17 said.
‘Human trafficking’
The Ministry said it has been further informed that “human-trafficking syndicates hire such labourers from their native place to work in Punjab on the promise of a good salary, but after reaching there, they are exploited, paid poorly and meted out inhuman treatment. To make them work in the fields for long hours, these labourers are often given drugs, which adversely affect their physical and mental condition. The BSF has been handing over the rescued persons to the State police for necessary action,” the letter said.
“Keeping in view the multi-dimensional and overwhelming enormity of the problem, which involves human-trafficking, bonded labour and human rights violation, you are requested to look into the matter and take appropriate measures to address this serious problem,” the Ministry communicated to the Punjab government.
The Punjab government has also been asked to inform it on priority about the action taken in the matter.
The Ministry also sent a copy of the letter to the Union Labour Secretary with the request to issue suitable instructions to all States, especially Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha for creating awareness amongst people to ensure that the poor are not duped by unscrupulous elements by making false promises on job prospects.
Published - April 02, 2021 08:16 pm IST
