Intro:
Citizens urged to report bonded labour cases to helpline 1552 immediately
Chikkaballapur
Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat, Dr. Y. Naveen Bhatt, appealed to the public to uphold social responsibility by reporting any instances of bonded labour in the district by calling the helpline number 1552. He was speaking after inaugurating the Bonded Labour System Abolition Day and Awareness Programme held at the District Panchayat auditorium on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Bhatt highlighted that nearly 85 percent of families today use smartphones, making it increasingly difficult for forced or bonded labour practices to remain hidden. Whether in rural villages or urban localities, such exploitation cannot go unnoticed by neighbours and local residents. He urged citizens to come forward with information, assuring that competent authorities would initiate bonded labour release and rehabilitation measures while taking strict legal action against those responsible for forcing or facilitating such practices.
Providing historical context, he noted that bonded labour originated during the pre-Independence era, particularly in the 1800s, under the Zamindari and jajmani systems. Social inequality and poverty often compelled vulnerable families to take loans, trapping them and even their future generations in forced labour. The enactment of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act in 1975 marked a significant and permanent step toward eradicating the practice. In Chikkaballapur district alone, 2,352 labourers have been identified, freed, and rehabilitated so far.
Dr. Bhatt also mentioned that organisations working towards bonded labour eradication have sought improvements in the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A meeting under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner will be convened, and resolutions passed will be forwarded to the state level for consideration.
Authorities are collecting data from brick kilns, poultry farms, and construction sites to ensure that no worker is trapped in bonded labour. Awareness initiatives will continue to prevent future exploitation.
Senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, B. Shilpa, expressed concern that bonded labour persists in modern forms, including forced domestic work and child care in urban areas. District Bar Association President K.V. Abhilash also observed that bonded labour has evolved into new dimensions, even appearing in corporate sectors, and stressed the need for proactive administrative action.