Bhubaneswar Sets Three-Month Roadmap to Combat Bonded Labour

Bhubaneswar: A coordinated effort involving multiple government departments will be undertaken in the Bhubaneswar Sub-Division over the next three months to identify bonded labour cases, ensure the rescue and rehabilitation of workers, and prevent such incidents from recurring.

The action plan was discussed at a meeting-cum-training programme of the Sub-Divisional Level Bonded Labour Vigilance Committee, led by Bhubaneswar SDM-cum-Sub-Collector Dr Manoranjan Sahu. Participants stressed that any identified case must be acted upon without delay and in accordance with the law.

The programme, organised in the Bhubaneswar Sub-Division of Khordha district, focused on the identification, rescue, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers. Utkal Sevak Samaj supported the programme, while International Justice Mission (IJM) participated as the technical partner.

Jayanta Kumar Nag, State Programme Director, International Justice Mission, Odisha, conducted a training session on identifying and rescuing bonded workers, issuing release certificates, rehabilitation and relevant legal provisions.

The meeting brought together the District Labour Officer, Divisional Labour Commissioner, District Child Protection Officer, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, BDOs of different blocks under the sub-division, Tahasildars, officials from various departments and Vigilance Committee members.

Discussions also focused on the need for coordinated action among departments to ensure timely intervention in bonded labour cases. Committee members underlined the importance of creating widespread public awareness to prevent the practice.

On behalf of the Labour Department, the District Labour Officer proposed a comprehensive awareness campaign to educate people about the adverse consequences of bonded labour, legal provisions, workers’ rights and government rehabilitation mechanisms.