New Delhi: Finding that 113 brick kiln
owners in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh were not paying
wages to labourers as per the law, the National Human Rights
Commission has directed the district magistrate to take
"strict action" against them.
"This is only the tip of the iceberg, as out of 423
brick kilns in this area, the district administration is yet
to inspect 310 brick kilns," the NHRC noted and directed the
Ghaziabad administration to complete the inspection within six
weeks.
The matter came to light after the Commission asked
the Ghaziabad district administration to provide a detailed
report about the number of brick kilns being run in the
district and the condition of labourers engaged there, the
rights body said.
The Commission said it sought the report after it had
found that a previous inquiry report submitted by authorities
in connection with a case was "factually incorrect".
On December 4, 2008, a labourer had filed a complaint
with the Commission alleging that he along with his family
members and fellow labourers were not being paid their
complete salary by the owner of a brick kiln located in
Muradnagar area.
He also alleged that when he along with other
labourers demanded their dues, they were tortured by the brick
kiln owner and their staff, and "thus they were forced to live
as bonded labourers in the brick kiln", the rights body noted.
The complainant also alleged that seven children below
14 years were also detained by the brick kiln owner, it added.
On the basis of the complaint, Commission directed the
then district magistrate of Ghaziabad to conduct an on the
spot inquiry and take action to ensure immediate release of
bonded labourers.
However, the report of the district magistrate stated
that the said brick kiln was non-functional and no labour was
found there, the rights body said.
Commission then asked the complainant for his comments
on the report. "The complaint said that the officer in-charge
OP-Pipeline Police Station, Muradnagar, got all the labourers
from brick kiln released without taking any action against the
owner. They were also not paid their pending dues," the rights
body said.
The Ghaziabad district magistrate was asked to appear
in person and directed to submit a detailed report. "In his
report, the district magistrate said the police had taken
action. He also informed that in the matter relating to 113
brick kilns, chargesheets were submitted against 24 brick kiln
owners and in other 30 cases, notices were issued for
compounding the offence," rights body said.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, April 16, 2010, 00:30