The Revenue Department in Tiruvallur rescued 155 migrant bonded labourers, including 31 children, from a brick kiln in Avadi.
The officials along with members of the International Justice Mission (IJU) raided the RNI kiln in Pandeswaran to find that the owner forced the migrants, all from Chhattisgarh and Odisha, to live and work in inhuman conditions, according to a ToI report.
According to The Hindu, 31 children, 63 women and 61 men were rescued.
The workers, most of who were brought by middlemen to the kiln, alleged that they were paid meagre amounts for the work they did.
Tiruvallur Revenue Divisional Officer GR Divyashree told The Hindu that the labourers were being paid Rs 200 a week, which is not enough to meet basic requirements.
“I am given Rs 20 for carrying 1,000 bricks. If I fall sick, I am not paid. I realised I made a mistake (coming here) as I could have earned this in my hometown as well,” one of the rescued labours told ToI.
According to officials, the workers also alleged that they were physical assaulted by one of the supervisors of the kiln. The owner of the kiln is absconding, the report states.
The officials shifted the rescued labourers to a neighbouring marriage hall. A complaint has even been filed in the Muttam Pudhupettai police station in Avadi and arrangements were even made to send them home by Dhanbad Express.
Tiruvallur is one of the few districts in TN to record high rate of bonded labour. Similar instances include 318 labourers, including 88 children, being rescued from another brick kiln in the district in 2016.