The Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer—2021, effective from January 27, 2022, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. This comprehensive scheme is aimed at eradicating bonded labour in India by providing targeted financial and socio-economic support. It emphasizes skill development, direct benefit transfers, and monitoring mechanisms while supporting surveys, awareness programs, and evaluatory studies to combat bonded labour.
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Benefits
For Adult Male Beneficiaries
- Financial Assistance:
- ₹1,00,000 per adult male beneficiary.
- Disbursement Options:
- Beneficiaries can opt to have the assistance deposited in an annuity scheme or receive it as a cash grant.
- The District Administration assesses cash requirements and, with consent, may place funds in an annuity scheme.
For Special Category Beneficiaries (Children, Women)
- Financial Assistance:
- ₹2,00,000 per beneficiary.
- Disbursement Options:
- At least ₹1,25,000 must be deposited in an annuity scheme.
- The remaining amount is transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
For Extreme Cases of Bonded or Forced Labour
- Financial Assistance:
- ₹3,00,000 per beneficiary in cases involving severe deprivation (e.g., transgender individuals, women, and children rescued from sexual exploitation or trafficking).
- Disbursement Options:
- At least ₹2,00,000 is deposited in an annuity scheme.
- ₹1,00,000 is transferred via DBT.
Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund
- Each state is required to establish a district-level fund with a minimum corpus of ₹10,00,000.
- Penalties recovered from convicted perpetrators can be added to this corpus.
Immediate Financial Assistance
- Up to ₹30,000 may be provided immediately from the District Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund.
- The District Magistrate can disburse higher amounts if needed, subject to the maximum entitlements prescribed.
Additional State Responsibilities
- Provide a safe environment for capacity building of child bonded labourers.
- Address special needs of female freed bonded labourers, including financial support for marriage.
- Offer special care for disabled individuals and focused skill development training for adult bonded labourers not falling into the above categories.
Eligibility Criteria
- Beneficiary Status:
- The beneficiary must be a rescued bonded labourer.
- Category Specifics:
- Different categories (adult males, special category such as children and women, extreme cases) are defined with varying assistance amounts.
Application Process
Online Submission Process
- Submission of Proposal:
- The District Magistrate/Administration forwards the proposal for financial support to the appropriate State Ministry/Department managing the Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme (BLR).
- Proposals for both immediate cash assistance and rehabilitation assistance are submitted by the State/UT Government.
- Release of Funds:
- Eligible reimbursements are disbursed directly by the Ministry of Labour & Employment to the State/UT Government.
- The State/UT Government then transfers these funds to the respective District Magistrate/Collector.
- Disbursement of Benefits:
- The District Administration assesses the cash requirements of each beneficiary and decides whether to channel the funds through an annuity scheme or via DBT.
- Apply Now:
Interested parties can sign in and apply through the UMANG portal or the dedicated online application system.
Documents Required
For Immediate Financial Assistance
- Duly filled Release Certificates for each rescued bonded labourer (Annexure —A).
For Rehabilitation Assistance
- Duly filled Release Certificates for each rescued bonded labourer (Annexure —A).
- Details of each rescued bonded labourer in the prescribed format (Annexure —B).
- Consolidated information about bonded labourers for the release of rehabilitation assistance (Annexure —C).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Surveys & Financial Assistance:
How frequently can a State/UT Government conduct surveys, and what financial assistance is available for these initiatives? - Fund Release Modalities:
How are funds released under the scheme, and what are the modalities for fund transfer from the Ministry to the State/UT Governments? - Proposal Submission:
What is the process for District Magistrates/Administrations to submit proposals for financial demands? - Evaluatory Studies:
What financial support is available for evaluatory studies aimed at assessing the bonded labour scenario? - Awareness Programs:
How is awareness generated regarding the eradication of bonded labour, and what financial support is provided for these programs? - Survey Process:
What is the procedure for conducting surveys of bonded labourers, and what assistance is provided for this purpose? - Cumulative Benefits:
How does the scheme ensure that these benefits are supplementary to other cash or non-cash benefits a beneficiary might be entitled to? - Skill Development:
What role does the scheme play in the skill development of adult bonded labourers? - Female Freed Labourers:
Can you elaborate on the components of assistance for female freed bonded labourers, such as marriage support? - Child Bonded Labourers:
How does the scheme address capacity building and development for child bonded labourers? - Immediate Assistance:
What is the maximum immediate financial assistance provided to a rescued individual from the District Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund? - Care and Protection:
What measures are in place for the immediate care and protection of rescued individuals during summary trials? - Socio-economic Assistance:
How does the scheme assist individuals not in a condition of bondage but still in need of socio-economic support? - Assistance in Extreme Cases:
Under what circumstances is the rehabilitation assistance set at ₹3,00,000?