Hans News Service Bhubaneswar

Assertingthat the State government would ensure strict legal action against middlemen and agents involved in trafficking vulnerable people for bonded labour, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Thursday released the revised Central Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Bonded Labour in Odia language.

Harichandan unveiled the SOP at a function marking 50 years of the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 1976 in the country. The SOP provides guidance to frontline officials on the identification, rescue, release, repatriation and rehabilitation of bonded labourers, including those rescued from other States. Officials said the availability of the document in Odia would facilitate more effective implementation across districts and improve coordination among government departments.

More than 200 released bonded labourers from across Odisha assembled here under the umbrella of Shramavahini, a registered survivor-led collective with over 4,000 survivors as members. Addressing the gathering, the minister said the State government would ensure stringent legal action against traffickers and middlemen involved in recruiting vulnerable persons into bonded labour.

“We will strengthen investigation and prosecution to ensure offenders are brought to justice swiftly and face stringent punishment. Our objective is to create a strong deterrent and send a clear message that bonded labour and human trafficking will not be tolerated in Odisha,” he said. The minister also released ‘Restored in Odisha’, a publication documenting the State government’s initiatives, policy reforms, rescue operations, rehabilitation measures and inter-departmental efforts to combat bonded labour and human trafficking.

A panel discussion on strengthening systems to address trafficking for bonded labour brought together representatives of the State government, legal experts, academics and civil society organisations. Participants discussed improving victim identification, access to justice, inter-State coordination and community-based prevention mechanisms. Survivors who shared their experiences spoke of the importance of timely rescue, rehabilitation and sustained community support in rebuilding their lives and preventing re-trafficking.

Shramavahini secretary Ranjita Rana, herself a released bonded labour survivor, urged the State government to institutionalise February 9 as an annual Bonded Labour Abolition Day across all districts to strengthen public awareness and prevention efforts. She said similar government-led observances in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had helped reinforce community vigilance.