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Revenue officials and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) of Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu rescued 39 bonded labourers, including a minor, from a brick kiln in Vannipakkam village, where they were allegedly mistreated and held hostage under exploitative conditions. All of them hailed from Odisha’s Balangir district. The rescue was carried out following a spot inspection by the authorities.
During the inspection, officials also found seven children at the site. A 17-year-old, who had allegedly been made to work in violation of child labour laws, was rescued, reports said.
According to reports, the labourers were assaulted when they resisted work. “The women told me they were beaten,” DLSA secretary Nalini Devi was quoted as saying by DT Next.
Reports said the labourers were housed in cramped living quarters without basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, or fans. They were paid only Rs 65 a day, far below the minimum wage.
The Hindu reported that the workers had been employed at the kiln around five months ago after receiving advance payments of nearly Rs 30,000 each, a common debt-bondage mechanism used to trap migrant workers.
Following the rescue, the workers were temporarily shifted to a nearby school. Procedures have been initiated to issue release certificates, open bank accounts, and provide interim rehabilitation assistance of Rs 30,000 each. Arrangements are also being made to send them back to Odisha, reports said.
Many instances of bonded labour have been reported from Tiruvallur district. Earlier in March, 78 bonded labourers, including 21 children – all belonging to Odisha’s Balangir district – were rescued from another brick kiln during a similar inspection.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM