The Minister of State for labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya has proposed a 15-fold increase in the rehabilitation cost of bonded labourers to up to Rs 3,00,000 in order to restore the government's pro-labour image. The government is revising the rehabilitation of bonded labour scheme and increasing the quantum of financial assistance from Rs 20 thousand to one lakh rupees. The scheme proposes to increase the budget provision from Rs 5 crore to about Rs 47 crore per annum.
Under the revised scheme, male bonded labourer would get a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh, while a child or woman would of get Rs 2 lakh. This would go up to Rs 3 lakh in case of a differently-abled or physically challenged bonded labourer.
The minister said that under this new scheme the money will remain in an annuity account, controlled by the District Magistrate and a monthly earning will flow to the beneficiary account for his/her comfortable living. Furthermore, the new scheme aims to address new forms of bondage such as organised begging rings, forced prostitution and child labour for which females, disabled and transgenders are mercilessly used by the powerful elements.
In the year 1978, the government had launched a centrally-sponsored scheme for rehabilitation of bonded labourers. Under the scheme, an assistance of up to Rs 4,000 per bonded labour was provided initially. This was raised to Rs 6,250 in 1986 and to Rs 10,000 in 1995, before fixing it at Rs 20,000 in 1999.