A family of 12 in Hyderabad was paid ₹143, becoming bonded labourers after a trafficker lured them away from Uttar Pradesh (UP) by promising them good daily wages. However, at a construction site in Bachupally, in Telangana’s Medchal-Malkajgiri district, the family was given a small sum each week. When they tried to return home, they were allegedly threatened, assaulted and stopped. Government officials rescued the family, including six children, earlier this month and are investigating their allegations under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Between 2018 and 2024, India reported 9,764 bonded labour victims, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Year after year, the same states report the largest number of bonded labour cases, with UP faring worst. It accounted for about 7 in every 10 victims in 2024, compared to 8 in 10 a year earlier. Together with Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Karnataka, it made up over 90 per cent of victims.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment implements the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers, 2021. National figures for the scheme show that one in three persons rehabilitated between 2018 and 2024 was in UP. Tamil Nadu comes next, followed by Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Karnataka. A worrying fact is that while Jharkhand and Gujarat rank among the five states with the most victims, they do not feature in the list of states where bonded labourers were rehabilitated in that period.
The Labour Ministry’s rehabilitation scheme is demand-driven, meaning payments depend on states and union territories identifying bonded labourers, processing cases and seeking reimbursement from the Central government. A parliamentary standing committee report found that only about 6 per cent of the ₹6 crore allocated to the scheme in 2024-25 had been spent as of January 2025.
The family in Bachupally was rescued and needs money for rehabilitation and to lead a free life. The law abolishes bonded labour, but its promise depends on post-rescue action.
