27 guest workers from Bihar rescued from bonded labour

ClearedCoimbatore: Revenue department officials on Thursday evening rescued 27 guest workers, five of them minor boys, who were working as bonded labourers at a foundry unit at Malumichampatti in the district for the past two months. All the rescued guest workers are natives of Bihar. District authorities are planning to send them back to their hometowns. The revenue department officials have lodged a complaint with the Chettipalayam police, seeking action against the foundry unit and a contractor who brought the guest workers from Bihar. R Maruthip Priya, revenue divisional officer, Coimbatore South, who is also a member of the district and sub-divisional vigilance committee, said they carried out the rescue operation based on a complaint from a Bengaluru-based NGO stating a group of guest workers from Bihar had not been paid their wages for the past two months and that they were manhandled at their place of stay belonging to Indo Shell Cast Pvt Ltd at Malumichamapatti. Priya, along with labour department officials, district child protection officials and the Chettipalayam police, visited the foundry unit on Thursday evening and rescued 27 guest workers, including five minor boys. She said the guest workers from Bihar were brought to the foundry unit by a contractor from the same state by promising a monthly pay of Rs12,000 per head. "But they were not given any salary. The guest workers were provided accommodation in a place belonging to the foundry unit and they were not allowed to go out. They were also not provided adequate food and forced to work all the days. Those who refused to go for work were manhandled." She said the rescued guest workers were provided shelters. "The child welfare committee will hold an inquiry on Friday. The guest workers will be sent back to their hometowns safely within one or two days." The revenue department officials have a lodged a police complaint, invoking the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976; the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulations) Act and The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Police inspector Selvaragavan said they would register a case against the foundry unit and the contractor. Further investigation is on.
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