Hyderabad: Telangana Labour Minister Vivek Venkataswamy on Saturday, April 18, announced that freed bonded labourers would be given priority in the allotment of Indiramma houses, assuring that a special government order would be issued if necessary to ensure they receive shelter.
Speaking as the chief guest at the concluding session of the “State-Level Convergence Workshop on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Bonded Labour” here, the minister said the government was committed to eliminating bonded labour and urged all stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations (NGO) and civil society, to work together toward a society free from exploitation.
“Indiramma houses will be allotted to those who have escaped from bonded labour in order of priority. If anyone does not get a house, bring it to my attention directly,” he said.
Noting that authorities had rescued 673 bonded labourers across the state between 2021 and 2025, the minister said the statistics were evidence of the exploitation of the weaker sections in sectors such as brick kilns, agriculture, fisheries and domestic services. He praised the Nalgonda Police for a swift raid in Devarakonda, conducted in coordination with Labour, Revenue and Child Welfare Departments, that rescued 36 bonded labourers.
On child labour, Venkataswamy urged the police not to treat such cases as mere law and order issues. “They should be treated as members of our family, with complete compassion,” he said.
The workshop, organised by the Women Safety Wing (WSW) of the Telangana Police in collaboration with the International Justice Mission (IJM), brought together over 200 participants, including senior government officials, police officers, judiciary representatives and civil society organisations.
Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy emphasised that bonded labour was not merely a labour issue but a form of coercive organised crime. “The state police should focus on proactive identification of victims, strong investigations and ensure convictions using modern technology,” he said.
Additional DGP (WSW) Charu Sinha stressed that anti-trafficking discourse often overlooks adult bonded labour and called for recognising debt bondage as a criminal offence. “Bonded labour is not a contract – it is coercion,” she said.
Women and Child Development Secretary Anita Ramachandran underscored that rescue alone was insufficient without sustainable rehabilitation, warning that the lack of support systems often drove victims back into exploitative conditions.
A highlight of the workshop was a testimony by survivor leader Shivamma of TRILINGA, who called for recognising February 9 as Bonded Labour System Abolition Day in Telangana to strengthen public awareness.
The government has made a 24×7 toll-free helpline, 8069434343, available for complaints related to bonded labour and trafficking.
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