Appoint officer to monitor bonded labour cases: HC to TN govt

The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to nominate a state-level officer to monitor cases relating to bonded labour and issue instructions for effective prosecution of persons violating bonded labour laws, within four weeks.
The First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar gave the directions on a PIL by one Roseann Rajan, seeking a direction to the government to appoint a state-level officer to collect and submit documents relating to bonded labourer cases.
The bench also directed the government to draw up an action plan on the matter within three months from today.

The petitioner submitted that it was the duty of the police to collect the release certificate concering the bonded labourers and their rehabilitation details and other related documents and submit to the courts.
The petitioner submitted that since sub-divisional Magistrate Courts in Tamil Nadu do not have the authority to conduct trails pertaining to cases of bonded labourers, such cases have to go through Session/Special Courts for trails.
A government order, in September 2002 was passed by Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department stating that a state-level monitoring committee headed by the Chief Secretary as Chairman and the Secretary of the Department as member has to be appointed to monitor and issue suitable instructions for effective prosecution against those who commit offences under the Bonded Labour Systems (Abolition) Act, but no state-level officer has been appointed, the petitioner said.

The petitioner also stated that a recommendation for the appointment was made to the Secretary of the department in March 2015, which is still under progress.
Recording the submissions, the bench disposed of the petition and directed the government to nominate a state-level officer within four weeks.