NHRC sends notice to Maha govt, police chief over 11 labourers kept chained to dig wells

National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has sent notices to the Maharashtra government and the state’s police chief over 11 labourers allegedly being kept chained in Osmanabad district by a contractor to dig wells and prevent them from escaping, officials said.

NHRC  in a statement observed that the provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act have been grossly violated by the contractor in this case. The incident clearly indicates the failure of the local administration to safeguard the labourers from such brutality committed upon them by the contractors, without any fear of the law. The officers who failed to do their lawful duty are required to be dealt with according to law, the rights panel said.

NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that 11 labourers were kept chained by the contractor to dig wells and prevent them from escaping in the Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, it said in the statement on Monday. The labourers were allegedly forced to work for 12 hours a day to dig a well without any wages. They got food once a day and were forced to answer nature’s call inside the well itself.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the state’s chief secretary and the director general of police, seeking a detailed report within four weeks. It should also include the status of the investigation being conducted in the case, action taken against the perpetrators and steps taken/proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future anywhere in the area, the statement added.