Bonded labourers rescued

As many as 14 persons, working as labourers, were rescued today by officials from a brick kiln at Pudhur in Vellore district after years of bondage, official sources said.
Based on a complaint by Adivasi Solidarity Council, district administration officials, led by Tirupattur Sub Collector Shilpa Prabhakar, recently conducted raids in the brick kiln and rescued the 14 of seven families, they said.
Investigations showed these families were working there to repay their loans which they had taken many years ago and were restricted from venturing out of the kiln, they said.
Three of the 14 persons were working as bonded labourers for 26 years, while the rest have been working for 10 and five years, they said.

They were not being paid the wage as per the guidelines of Tamil Nadu government, which is Rs 136 a day.
Prabhakar later issued them release certificate, entitling them to government allowances, they said.
Officials had on June 26 rescued 63 persons hailing from Odisha, employed as bonded labourers, at a brick kiln in Mallaiyapuram Dindigul district.
On June 11, 273 persons, also from Odisha and employed as bonded labourers in a brick kiln in Tiruvallur district near Chennai, were rescued by police and a local NGO.