Supreme Court: State must ensure uniform, timely rehabilitation for rescued bonded labourers

The Supreme Court, hearing the petition of Surendra Manjhi and several NGOs on behalf of rescued bonded labourers, ordered the Union of India to implement uniform and timely rehabilitation measures, including immediate financial assistance and prompt issuance of release certificates. The order also mandated the appointment of nodal officers to oversee inter‑State cases and required periodic compliance reports.

Petitioners, a rescued bonded labourer and several non‑governmental organisations, challenged the government's failure to provide financial assistance within the prescribed period, the irregular issuance of release certificates, and the lack of coordinated mechanisms for inter‑State rescues, which left seventeen labourers without payment. They contended that such delays and inconsistencies violated Articles 21 and 23 of the Constitution and the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976, which mandate dignity, freedom and rehabilitation for liberated workers.

The Court reasoned that liberation without effective rehabilitation defeated the constitutional right to life and personal liberty and amounted to a denial of the statutory safeguards under the 1976 Act. It held that delayed assistance was tantamount to continued bondage and that uniform inter‑State procedures were essential to give effect to judicial precedents. Accordingly, the Court directed the Union to issue release certificates within twenty‑four hours, disburse assistance within seven days, verify outstanding dues to the seventeen labourers, appoint nodal officers for inter‑State cases and submit compliance reports, while keeping the petitions pending for further monitoring.

Read the judgment and its head note on DLJ: Surendra Manjhi vs Union Of India (2026 INSC 1185).