Labour Ministry will soon issue a notification to enforce amendments in the scheme for rehabilitation of bonded labour to address new forms of bondages such as forced prostitution, organised begging rings and child labour, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters here.
"The earlier rule was only for namesake. This government is serious about the menace and is making it a fully centrally-assisted scheme. It is also raising the present budget of the scheme from the present Rs 5 crore to Rs 47 crore," he said.
Taking a jibe at the previous government, he said in 2004 a set of guidelines were issued on the Rehabilitation Scheme, which was introduced in 1978, but lacked sufficient deterrent as a result criminals escaped and public money was pocketed by unscrupulous elements.
"This government has resolved to undo past misdeeds and has adopted a 2 pronged approach. First, quantum of financial assistance given under the scheme is being raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 3 lakh for disabled, female and children rescued from trafficking, sexual exploitation and transgenders," Dattatreya said.
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The new norms also provide for a Rs 4.5 lakh assistance for survey of bonded labourers in sensitive districts.
"Ministry is creating a permanent and renewable district level rehabilitation fund of Rs 10 lakh that will be under the discretion of district collector. It will be used as a stopgap arrangement before reimbursement by the Centre through the DBT system," he said.
"It will also be ensured that such cases are monitored by Sessions Courts and the state High Courts by way of regular review as per their respective criminal manual apart from the state Home and Revenue Departments," he added.
Also suitable provisions will be made for institutional involvement of officials from NHRC, the State Human Rights Commission, NGOs and Union Labour Ministry, Dattatreya said.