Uttar Pradesh: NHRC issues notices to DMs, SPs in UP over labour trade

The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday issued notices to District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Shrawasti and Mirzapur districts of Uttar Pradesh over reports of trade of several scheduled caste labourers, including women and children.

The Commission issued the notices after taking suo motu cognisance of a media report that 48 SC labourers, including women and children who were not being paid, "were sold by one contractor to another" at Mirzapur on February 28.

"They had been working for the last five months at the construction site of a bridge on ''Bannsagar'' in Mirzapur...The contractor subjected them to physical assault and intimidation. Some of the child labourers were to appear in UP Board Examination but they were not allowed," according to an NHRC release.

Justice D Murugesan, member of the Commission observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights and gave two weeks'' time to the officers to submit the action taken report in the matter.

Reportedly, some the labourers belonging to Shrawasti, were chased by the employers up to their villages, who also threatened them of implicating them in a false theft case.

The family members of the victims have submitted a memorandum addressed to the District Magistrate, Shrawasti and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Bhinga pleading for action against the offenders.