ITANAGAR, 21 Sep: The All Puroik Welfare Society (APWS) in a representation to the labour & employment secretary on Thursday demanded “immediate rehabilitation” of bonded labourers that APWS members got released from Upper Tippi Puroik Kabuang in West Kameng district, saying that “there is availability of land to settle them properly.”
The society expressed resentment that the 17 persons from the Puroik community who were released from three households during an awareness camp conducted by the APWS in Kazaling village in Nafra circle of West Kameng district on 22 September last year “are now living as daily wage earners, due to non-release of special rehabilitation package for them.”
It demanded that “the government should provide a special package as per the provision of the Bonded Labour Abolition Act, 1976.”
“Why is the labour department taking time to grant special package for rehabilitation even after the West Kameng district administration had forwarded the rehabilitation proposal to the labour department on 10 July?” the society demanded to know.
Claiming that the union labour ministry has provided adequate fund for settlement of bonded labourers, the APWS said: “It is to our utter surprise that the department of labour is behaving like a mute spectator despite knowing the fact that the released bonded labourers are facing huge problems maintain their living standard.”
