The house ministry had written a letter to Punjab on human trafficking syndicates and labourers.
New Delhi: The Union House Ministry at the moment termed media stories as “distorted” and “deceptive” which linked its letter to the Punjab authorities on the plight of 58 “bonded labourers” rescued within the state to the farmers’ agitation and mentioned no motive ought to be ascribed to a routine communication over legislation and order points.
The ministry mentioned a piece of media has erroneously reported that the ministry has written the letter to Punjab levelling “grave fees” in opposition to the farmers of the state.
“These information stories are deceptive and current a distorted and extremely editorialised opinion of a easy commentary a couple of socioeconomic drawback rising from 4 delicate border districts of Punjab over a interval of two years, which has been delivered to the eye of this ministry by the involved Central Armed Police Drive,” the house ministry mentioned in an announcement.
The house ministry added: “Firstly, no motive could be ascribed to a letter issued by this ministry to a specific state or states as that is a part of routine communication over legislation and order points”.
The ministry mentioned the letter has additionally been forwarded to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment with a request to hold out a sensitisation train in all states to examine the duping of susceptible victims by the hands of unscrupulous components.
“Secondly, a number of the information stories in regards to the letter have juxtaposed in a very unrelated context to conclude that the MHA has framed ‘grave fees’ in opposition to the farmers of Punjab and has additionally linked this with the continued farmers’ agitation,” the assertion mentioned.
Farmers, largely from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting on the borders of Delhi in opposition to three central agri legal guidelines since late November, with the impasse persisting even after a number of rounds of talks.
The house ministry mentioned the letter clearly and solely states that “human trafficking syndicates” rent such labourers and they’re “exploited, paid poorly and meted out inhuman remedy” apart from luring them with medicine to extract extra labour, affecting their “bodily and psychological well being”.
“Retaining in view the multi-dimensional and overwhelming enormity of the issue, this ministry has solely requested the state authorities(s) to take appropriate measures to handle this major problem,” the assertion mentioned.
In its communication dated March 17, the house ministry has conveyed to the Punjab authorities that 58 mentally challenged individuals belonging to Bihar and UP had been discovered to be working as “bonded labourers” within the border districts of the state and requested it to take applicable motion to take care of the “critical” drawback.
Within the letter to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the house ministry mentioned the Border Safety Drive (BSF) has discovered that these 58 individuals, who had been delivered to Punjab with the promise of excellent wage however exploited, got medicine and compelled to work in inhuman situations as soon as they reached Punjab.
The house ministry mentioned the BSF has knowledgeable that these labourers had been apprehended from the border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar in Punjab in 2019 and 2020.
The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal, which had snapped ties with the BJP-led NDA over the problem of agri legal guidelines, had on Friday questioned the Centre’s missive, alleging it was an try to defame the farmers of the state.
