Centre to hike relief for victims of bonded labour, trafficking

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, May 29

The Centre has decided to revise the financial assistance to the victims of bonded labour and trafficking from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh. While this may extend up to Rs 2 lakh in special cases, the government will ensure an assistance of Rs 3 lakh in cases of extreme deprivation.

Revealing this, sources in the Union Labour and Employment Ministry said the plan, which proposed to increase the annual budget provision from Rs 5 crore to Rs 47 crore, was likely to benefit the victim in three subdivided categories. While the most deprived and marginalised sections, including the disabled, women and children rescued from trafficking, sexual exploitation and transgender networks, would get Rs 3 lakh, the special category comprising women and minors found to be victims of general conditions would get an assistance of Rs 2 lakh. The normal adult who was victim of bonded labour would be provided Rs 1 lakh, said the sources.

It is claimed that under the new package, the money paid to the victim would remain under the annuity account controlled by the District Magistrate (DM). One of the special features of the new scheme is that it aims to address new forms of bondage such as organised begging rings, forced prostitution and child labour for which women, disabled and transgenders were exploited by the mafia.

Describing the move as justified, Rishi Kant of the Shakti Vahini, an NGO working in the field of trafficking, said changes in the provision of rehabilitation was announced by the Bandaru Dattatrey, Union Minister of Labour and Employment (independent charge), recently at New Delhi.

More than 5,000 victims had been identified or rescued in the NCR, UP, Punjab and Rajasthan in two decades, he said.

Claiming that rehabilitation had been made simple, he said a permanent and renewable district-level rehabilitation fund of at least Rs 10 lakh would be made available, which would be used as a stop-gap arrangement before reimbursement by the Centre through the DBT (direct benefit transfer) system.