Bonded Labourers From UP, Bihar Given Drugs To Get More Work Done: Home Ministry Writes To Punjab

The Ministry of Home Affairs has written a letter to the state government of Punjab, asking about the bonded labourers working with the farmers in the border villages.

The letter, dated March 17, stated about the migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who were allegedly forced to work as bonded labourers in the border villages and were often given drugs, reported India Today.

"The labours are often given drugs, for making them work for long hours in the fields, which adversely affects their mental and physical condition," said the MHA.

The bonded labourers belong to poor families from the remote areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The human trafficking gangs bring such labourers from their native places to Punjab by luring them with good salaries.

The MHA letter stated, the labourers were often given drugs for extending their work hours in the field, which affects their physical and mental health adversely.

The matter came into light after the Border Security Force rescued a few of the labours from the areas.

The Chief Secretary of Punjab said the BSF found 58 labourers in the past two years who were brought to Punjab and were promised to provide good salaries.

The Centre informed the state about the 'serious' problem and asked them to take appropriate measures to deal with it.

The labourers were rescued from the border villages of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar Punjab in 2019 and 2020.

During the interrogation, it was seen that most of them were mentally disabled or were in a feeble state of mind.

While the Punjab government said the Chief Secretary and DGP have been asked to submit a report to the MHA, sources said no factual document or complaint information about the allegations was provided along with the letter, reported India Today.

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