Mysuru: Mysuru district police have stepped up efforts to curb bonded labour following the rescue of 18 labourers from a brick kiln in T Narasipura taluk.The labourers, including women, were allegedly forced to work under bonded conditions for nearly five years. Following their rescue, they were shifted to a govt rehabilitation facility, provided with support and protection, and later released as per due process. In the wake of the incident, district police have launched a special drive to identify and prevent similar cases across all taluks.SP Mallikarjun Baladandi told TOI that all police stations have been directed to enhance vigilance and conduct inspections at brick kilns, farms, factories, construction sites and other workplaces considered vulnerable to labour exploitation.Police personnel will coordinate with relevant govt departments to verify workers’ documents, assess living conditions and interact with labourers. Officers have been instructed to promptly register cases wherever violations are detected and take stringent action against those involved in bonded labour practices. In addition to enforcement measures, the police department plans to conduct awareness programmes to help workers and the public identify signs of bonded labour and report such cases at an early stage.Police said the objective is to ensure compliance with labour laws and prevent vulnerable workers, particularly migrants, from being trapped through intimidation, wage withholding or exploitative debt arrangements.
