Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers - GS questions based on daily current affairs

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:
The scheme provides for creation of a Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund at District level by each State with a permanent corpus of at least Rs. 10 lakh at the disposal of the District Magistrate for extending immediate help to the released bonded labourers.

The fund is released by the Ministry under the Scheme to the District National Child Labour Project Society and the District Project Society in turn releases the fund to the implementing agencies including the district administration.

Special care is made available by the State for addressing the needs of the disabled persons, female freed bonded labourers and bonded child labour by providing safe and secure environment for the capacity building of child bonded labourers, facilities for ensuring their proper education, short stay home till education up to class 12th, skill development, marriage assistance etc.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:
The Government has revamped the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers with effect from 17th May, 2016. The revamped scheme is known as the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers, 2016’. The salient features of the Scheme are as under:

• The revised scheme is a Central Sector Scheme. The State Government is not required to pay any matching contribution for the purpose of cash rehabilitation assistance.
• Financial assistance has been increased from Rs. 20,000/- to one lakh per adult male beneficiary, Rs. 2 lakh for special category beneficiaries such as children including orphans or those rescued from organized & forced begging rings or other forms of forced child labour, and women and Rs. 3 lakh in cases of bonded or forced labour involving extreme cases of deprivation or marginalization such as trans-genders, or woman or children rescued from ostensible sexual exploitation such as brothels, massage parlours, placement agencies etc., or trafficking, or in cases of differently abled persons, or in situations where the District Magistrate deems fit.
• The amount of assistance for survey of bonded labourers is Rs. 4.50 lakh per district.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:
Bonded Labour System has been abolished by law throughout the country with effect from 25^th October, 1975 under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance which was replaced by The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

Under The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, States/Union Territories are mandated to implement the provisions of the Act. The District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates and the Vigilance Committees constituted under the Act have been entrusted with certain duties/responsibilities for implementation of the Act.

Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of the concerned state government/union territory.

In order to assist the State Governments in the task of rehabilitation of identified and released bonded labourers, a Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour was in operation since May, 1978. The revamped scheme is known as the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers, 2016’.