58 mentally challenged individuals from Bihar, UP discovered working as bonded labourers in Punjab: MHA

The Centre has knowledgeable the Punjab authorities that 58 mentally challenged individuals from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh had been discovered working as bonded labourers within the border districts of the state and requested it to take applicable motion to cope with the “serious” drawback.
In a communication to the chief secretary of Punjab, the Union Home Ministry mentioned the Border Security Force (BSF) has discovered these 58 individuals had been dropped at Punjab with the promise of fine wage however exploited, given medication and compelled to work in inhuman circumstances.
The dwelling ministry mentioned the BSF has knowledgeable it that these labourers had been rescued from the border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar in Punjab in 2019 and 2020.
“During the course of questioning, it emerged that almost all of them had been both mentally challenged or had been in a feeble way of thinking and have been working as bonded labourers with farmers in border villages of Punjab.
“The persons apprehended belong to poor family background and hail from remote areas of the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” the letter, accessed by PTI, mentioned.
The dwelling ministry mentioned it has been additional knowledgeable that “human-trafficking syndicates hire such labourers from their native place to work in Punjab on the promise of a good salary, but after reaching there, they are exploited, paid poorly and meted out inhuman treatment”.
To make them work within the fields for lengthy hours, these labourers are sometimes given medication, which adversely have an effect on their bodily and psychological situation, the letter mentioned.

The BSF has been handing over the rescued individuals to the state police for vital motion.
“Keeping in view the multi-dimensional and overwhelming enormity of the problem, which involves human-trafficking, bonded labour and human rights violation, you are requested to look into the matter and take appropriate measures to address this serious problem,” the house ministry advised the Punjab authorities.
The Punjab authorities has additionally been requested to tell it on precedence concerning the motion taken within the matter.
The dwelling ministry additionally despatched a duplicate of the letter to the Union Labour Secretary with the request to challenge appropriate directions to all states, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha for creating consciousness amongst individuals to make sure that the poor usually are not duped by unscrupulous components by making false guarantees for higher job prospects.