37 bonded labourers from Odisha rescued in Vijayanagara

Hosapete (Vijayanagara): As many as 37 bonded labourers from Odisha, including 10 children, were rescued from Nandibandi village in Mariyammanahalli hobli on Thursday during a raid led by assistant commissioner Vivekanand.

The operation was carried out based on information provided by Belagavi‑based NGO Spandana and was conducted under the guidance of deputy commissioner Kavitha S Mannikeri.

Officials said the rescued labourers — 11 women and 16 men apart from the children — hailed from Balangir and Nabarangpur districts of Odisha. They were allegedly brought to Karnataka about six months ago after being paid an advance of Rs 40,000 each.

According to the victims, they were forced to work for meagre wages and were not allowed to leave even after the contract period ended. They also alleged that security guards were deployed to restrict their movement and prevent outside contact.

Terming the incident ‘shocking’, DC Kavitha S Mannikeri said a case had been registered at Mariyammanahalli police station against those involved in supporting bonded labour practices.

The district administration later made arrangements to send the rescued workers back to their native villages by train under the escort of police and revenue department officials.