Bonded labour in Odisha: causes, steps and bottlenecks – OPSC OAS Mains GS Paper II PYQ

📝Model Answer

Introduction

Bonded labour, or debt bondage, is a form of forced labour in which a person is compelled to work to repay a debt or obligation, often under exploitative conditions and for little or no wages. Prohibited under Article 23 of the Constitution and abolished by the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, it remains a persistent challenge in Odisha, particularly among poor, tribal and migrant workers.

Body

Causes and Consequences of Bonded Labour

1. Poverty and indebtedness — Chronic poverty forces vulnerable families to take loans from moneylenders or contractors, trapping them in cycles of debt bondage.
2. Distress migration — Seasonal out-migration from poverty-stricken regions like the KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) belt to brick kilns in other States leads to advance-based bondage.
3. Landlessness and agrarian distress — Lack of land and stable livelihoods pushes agricultural labourers into bonded arrangements with landlords.
4. Illiteracy and lack of awareness — Low literacy and ignorance of legal rights make workers easy targets for exploitation by middlemen (dadan labour system).
5. Caste and social vulnerability — Marginalised SC, ST and Dalit communities are disproportionately trapped due to entrenched social hierarchies.
6. Consequences for individuals — Victims suffer wage denial, physical and sexual abuse, restricted freedom, debt inheritance across generations and loss of dignity.
7. Consequences for society — It perpetuates poverty, child labour, school dropouts, human trafficking and undermines constitutional guarantees of freedom and equality.

Steps Taken by the Odisha Government

1. Implementation of the 1976 Act — Enforcement of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act through District Magistrates and Vigilance Committees for identification and release.
2. Rehabilitation assistance — Provision of financial rehabilitation to released bonded labourers under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, alongside release certificates.
3. Regulation of migration (Dadan labour) — Registration of labour contractors and migrant workers under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act to check exploitation.
4. Vigilance Committees — Constitution of district- and sub-divisional-level vigilance committees to monitor, identify and prevent bonded labour.
5. Awareness and survey drives — Periodic surveys and awareness campaigns in vulnerable districts to identify victims and educate workers on their rights.
6. Convergence with welfare schemes — Linking released labourers with MGNREGA, housing, food security, skill development and pension schemes for sustainable rehabilitation.
7. Rescue and repatriation — Coordination with destination States to rescue and bring back trapped migrant workers, especially from brick kilns.
8. Special focus on tribal regions — Targeted interventions in KBK and tribal districts, the main source areas of distress migration and bondage.

Bottlenecks in Implementation

1. Identification difficulties — Hidden and informal nature of bondage, especially among migrant workers, makes detection and data collection difficult.
2. Weak rehabilitation — Delays in disbursing rehabilitation assistance and inadequate follow-up often push released labourers back into bondage.
3. Inter-State coordination gaps — Workers migrating to other States face jurisdictional and coordination challenges in rescue and prosecution.
4. Poor enforcement and low convictions — Inadequate staffing, weak monitoring and low conviction rates dilute the deterrent effect of the law.
5. Persistent root causes — Continuing poverty, landlessness and lack of local employment sustain the conditions that breed bonded labour.

Conclusion