Odisha Govt to create model village free from bonded labour, says Minister Rabi Narayan Naik

Bhubaneswar, Aug 22: Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Friday announced that the Odisha government will work towards developing a model village free from bonded labour as part of its larger mission to curb human trafficking and exploitation.

Speaking at the State Consultation on Human Trafficking and Bonded Labour held in Bhubaneswar and organised by Suraksha, a coalition of over 30 NGOs, the Minister also revealed plans to declare Nuapada as a migration-free district in the near future.

Naik assured that the government will issue labour cards to vulnerable workers, offering them a safeguard against trafficking and exploitation. Accepting a memorandum from the NGO coalition, he also committed to raising the demand for formal observance of February 9 as Bonded Labour Abolition Day in Odisha, following the precedent set by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

The coalition strongly urged the state to formulate a comprehensive State Action Plan (SAP) with clear timelines and budget allocation, alongside an Odisha-specific Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) across key departments like police, labour, revenue, and women & child development. Such measures, they said, would ensure timely rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and prosecution of offenders.

Highlighting successes from states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi, coalition member Amiya Das noted that structured SAPs and SOPs have led to improved coordination and faster rescues, underscoring the urgent need for Odisha to adopt similar frameworks.