CHENNAI: Nineteen bonded labourers were rescued from a brick kiln and two rice mills on Thursday in a series of raids by Chengelpet RDO in neighbouring Kancheepuram district. The action was initiated by RDO R.Panneerselvam, who formed a special team including the tahsildar, RI (revenue Inspector) and others. At Manapakkam, nine members, all from Arunkunam village near Madurantakam, were found working as bonded labourers in a brick kiln of Elumalai.
The rescued identified as Muthu, (55), his wife Gangammal, (45), Valli, (22), Lakshmi, (20), Appu, (18), Kanniyammal, (18), Arjun, (7), Karthik, (10), and Viji, (5), were working as bonded labourers for the last 30 months. They had taken Rs 5,000 from Elumalai and he had allegedly told them that they had paid only the interest and the entire principal was pending.
At Kayarambedu near Guduvancherry, Shankar, (40), his wife Usha, (38), children Muthu, (20) and Bhuvaneshwari, (18), Rajendran, (32) and his wife Chandra, (22) were found working as bonded labourers for the last one year here at a rice mill owned by one Sakunthala and her husband. The owners were stated to be absconding. The rescued had borrowed Rs 30,000 for a wedding and the principal amount had shot up to Rs 40,000, and the family was told to work for another 20 years to settle the total outstanding.
Similarly, at Moolakazhani near Guduvancherry , a raid on another rice mill run by Thiruvakku, (50), revealed that four persons, Kuppan and three others of Thandarai near Tiruporur, were working as bonded labourers for the past two years.They had availed themselves of a loan of Rs 10,000 two years ago. Both Elumalai and Thiruvakku were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
