‘Unpaid’ sugar cane workers & their children freed in Dharashiv

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Local authorities in Dharashiv district helped 19 sugar cane cutters from Uttar Pradesh and their 15 children leave for their homes in Lalitpur on Friday night.
The cane cutters had come to Dharashiv's Mauje Pimpalgaon village for harvesting work about 45 days ago. They had got the jobs through two labour contractors. However, the cane cutters alleged that they were not paid their daily wages.
This action took place the same day Pune police, along with revenue department officials, rescued 26 bonded workers from a charcoal-making unit at Girvi village in Indapur on Friday and arrested its owner.
Dharashiv collector Sachin Ombase on Saturday said a committee has been formed to ascertain if the sugar cane cutters were bonded workers. "The sugar cane cutters voluntarily came to Dharashiv district for cane cutting jobs. They were assured a daily wage of Rs 400 as well as food. The workers received Rs 2,000 in advance. They, however, alleged that their daily payments were not made and, therefore, they wanted to return to Uttar Pradesh," he told TOI.
Earlier, on Jan 30, the Dharashiv district administration received a letter from the Lalitpur district administration stating that the workers in question were confined and forced to do cane-cutting jobs. In response to the letter, Dharashiv officials carried out a panchanama at Mauje Pimpalgaon in the presence of labour welfare groups.
Sanjay Patil, the sub-divisional officer for Kalamb in Dharashiv, who is heading the inquiry, said that during the panchanama, all the cane cutters said they had voluntarily come for the jobs. "The cane cutters' only grievance was not getting daily wages. That is why they wanted to return despite getting the advance money. They claimed they were forced to work for around 45 days despite not getting paid. The two contractors were absent during the panchanama, therefore, their versions are awaited," he said.
Patil said the inquiry report will be submitted within a week. Taking cognisance of the allegations of the sugar cane cutters, Dharashiv's labour department on Friday registered a case against the two contractors under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, among other charges. While one contractor is from Beed district, another is from Madhya Pradesh. Both were untraceable till Saturday evening, authorities said.