Nearly 650 families living in abject poverty in Villupuram

CHENNAI: Nearly 650 families who were freed from bonded labour from Andhra Pradesh quarries in 1989-1990, are living in abject poverty in Villupuram district because of non-access to government schemes, according to officials in the Adi Dravidar Welfare Directorate.

Though a team headed by Joint Director (General) S. Mohan had already visited the area and directed the Kallakurichi Revenue Division Officer to file a report on the status of the people, all details have not yet been obtained. The people, originally from Villupuram, Cuddalore and other places, were forced into bonded labour in Ranga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh, says V.M.K. Thangaraj, who himself was a bonded labourer once and is now an active campaigner against such practice. They were freed in 1989-1990 and re-settled in Villupuram district with the support of the police department and the State government. But their “freedom from bondage” was not recorded by any government officer in the form of a release certificate, making it impossible for them to get the benefits.

“The Kallakurichi RDO has said that they do not have all the evidence required for distributing the benefits and that they need to go to Andhra Pradesh to collect the complete evidence,” Mr. Mohan says. Kannegi Packianathan, Commissioner, Adi Dravidar Welfare Directorate, who is the nodal officer for the re-survey of bonded labour in the State, says the matter was recently brought to her notice, following which she has ordered a thorough enquiry by district officials concerned.

Once the details of the original victims are obtained, the government will provide the benefits due to them including cash compensation of Rs. 20,000 for their rehabilitation, she says.