Bhopal, April 2 (NationPress) In a pivotal initiative to address the ongoing challenge of bonded labour, the government of Madhya Pradesh has established a specialized high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT). This team is tasked with exploring corrective actions and sustainable solutions for the issues surrounding bonded labourers across the Gwalior, Chambal, and Bhopal regions.

As per a directive from the General Administration Department, the Divisional Commissioner has been appointed as the Chairperson of this team.

Included in the team are the Inspector General (IG) of the respective zone, the Deputy Director of Social Justice and Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities, and the Joint Director of Women and Child Development (Bhopal). The Labour Commissioner of Madhya Pradesh has been designated as the Member Secretary.

District Collectors and members of the district-level committees have been instructed to provide complete support and collaboration to the Divisional SIT. Additionally, the Secretary of the Labour Department will offer essential technical and legal advice to the team.

The issue of bonded labour remains a critical problem in various regions of Madhya Pradesh, especially in areas with significant rural and tribal populations.

Recent events underline the seriousness of this issue. In February 2026, authorities rescued 74 individuals, including 21 families composed of women and children, from a brick kiln in Raisen district, where they faced coercion, wage denial, and debt bondage.

In May 2025, a significant operation in Guna district resulted in the liberation of 47 mentally challenged individuals, along with others, from entrenched bonded labour systems.

Madhya Pradesh has a historical context for severe cases of bonded labour, primarily associated with brick kilns, stone quarries, agriculture, and construction industries.

The “Harwai” system in certain areas of the state compels landless labourers into a lifetime of agricultural work to repay informal loans.

Moreover, numerous cases also involve inter-state trafficking, with workers from Madhya Pradesh rescued from bonded conditions in Tamil Nadu and other states in recent months.

This development emerges at a time when national statistics indicate a slow pace in the fight against bonded labour. While approximately 2.97 lakh bonded labourers have been officially rescued and rehabilitated in India since 1978, critics contend that the real figures are likely much higher due to underreporting and inadequate enforcement.

The establishment of this SIT signifies the state government's renewed commitment to effectively identify, rescue, rehabilitate, and prevent bonded labour.

The team is anticipated to evaluate existing frameworks, address implementation gaps under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, and propose stronger enforcement strategies.