Bhubaneswar: The state govt has sanctioned a dedicated corpus fund of Rs 99.99 lakh to support freed bonded labourers in rebuilding their livelihoods and preventing their re-entry into exploitative labour arrangements.The panchayati raj and drinking water department recently approved the creation of the fund for 15 districts that have reported bonded labour cases or are considered vulnerable to labour trafficking and exploitation.The beneficiary districts, identified as being prone to distress migration, include Balasore, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Angul, Bhadrak, Boudh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar and Khurda. The funds will be utilised during the 2026-27 financial year to create income-generating assets for rescued bonded labourers, enabling them to achieve economic independence after their rescue and release.An official of the department said that under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, every bonded labourer identified and rescued receives immediate financial assistance of Rs 20,000. Upon verification of bondage, survivors are entitled to rehabilitation assistance ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, depending on their category and the severity of exploitation suffered. “The money will be used to provide this rehabilitation assistance besides, facilitate other govt benefits like housing assistance, agricultural land, dug wells and pump sets, among other things, for them, depending on their eligibility,” he said.According to the govt order, the corpus fund cannot be used for loans or for any purpose other than the rehabilitation of bonded labour survivors. The state has allocated between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to each of the identified districts under the initiative.Odisha continues to witness migration-linked bonded labour cases, particularly involving workers trafficked to brick kilns, rice mills, construction sites and agricultural establishments in states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. At the same time, authorities have increasingly detected instances of bonded labour within the state, prompting the govt to strengthen both prevention and rehabilitation mechanisms.Officials said the initiative complements the state’s broader reforms aimed at tackling bonded labour. Over the past two years, the state has introduced a revised standard operating procedure that clearly defines the roles of various departments in identifying bonded labourers, conducting rescue operations, ensuring rehabilitation and pursuing legal action against offenders.The state has also adopted the Union labour ministry’s Navjivan portal, a digital case management platform that tracks every stage of a survivor’s rehabilitation, from rescue and issuance of release certificates to compensation, livelihood support and access to welfare schemes.The corpus fund will be administered through district authorities and monitored under the existing bonded labour rehabilitation mechanism involving district vigilance committees and local administrations.
