Government to consider drafting guidelines for housing rescued bonded labourers

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-15 13:19:45 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-15 19:01:46

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The state government of Tamil Nadu, India, is set to consider drafting standardised guidelines for municipalities to follow in hosting rescued bonded labourers. This proposal was announced yesterday by the Minister for Municipal Administration, Sanitation and Urban Development, Mr. K. S. Palaniswami, in response to the growing number of rescued bonded labourers in the region.

In recent years, Tamil Nadu has witnessed a significant surge in bonded labour, largely attributed to a lack of alternative employment opportunities and seasonal migrant labour. Mr. Palaniswami acknowledged that though the state government had adopted various measures to combat this issue, including running orientation programmes for rescued individuals and providing them with skills training, these measures alone are not enough to address the problem.

Currently, each municipality adopts its own approach to providing housing for these individuals and their families, which has resulted in inconsistencies and subpar conditions. Mr. Palaniswami stressed that the proposed guidelines, once drafted and implemented, would ensure uniformity across all municipalities and lead to improved living conditions for bonded labourers.

This announcement follows a series of state government initiatives to combat bonded labour, including the rehabilitation of more than 9,000 individuals who had been rescued from slavery-like conditions.

In a statement that reflected the government's ongoing commitment to tackling this issue, Mr. Palaniswami said: "Providing housing and basic amenities to rescued bonded labourers is among the key focuses of the state government to help such individuals regain their confidence and live a life of dignity."

This transformative project is expected to greatly impact the lives of many vulnerable individuals and their families and is a positive step towards eradicating bonded labour in Tamil Nadu.

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