NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INDIA Summary Trial, Trial Proceedings, Evidence, Judgment and Sentence’ and only after that a section on ‘Benefits to Labourer’ is given in passing. The entire thrust of the SOP is criminalisation and not welfare. Therefore, the SOP should be revisited with emphasis on welfare of the bonded labourers and importance of coordinating with district authorities, labour officers and police officials for protection, release and rehabilitation of the bonded labour victims. viii. Identification and monitoring of bonded labourers: A monitoring mechanism may be designed at the Central level by the MoLE to ensure that the time gap between identification and rehabilitation of bonded labourers is not more than two months. For this, the cases of incidence of the bonded labour should be reported to the MoLE as soon as bonded labourers are identified in the states, and MoLE should monitor rehabilitation by seeking bi-annual reports rather than annual reports with specific information on the reasons for delays in rehabilitation, if any. Simultaneously, the Central grant for rehabilitation under CSS should be released timely. ix. Timely disbursal of Release Certificates: Release Certificates to the victims of bonded labour to be provided along with financial assistance immediately after rescue. The bonded labour needs to be educated and should be made aware of their legal rights and entitlements under various laws and welfare schemes. The appropriate authorities, while issuing the release certificates to victims, should also provide the list of entitled schemes. x. Survey of Release Rehabilitation And Reintegration of Bonded Labourers: » Conducting Periodic Surveys: The mandate for conducting periodic Surveys once in three years by all States and UTs through the District and sub divisional Vigilance Committees on Bonded Labour must be scrupulously followed. The results of the surveys should be computerized and sent to the NHRC. They should also be made available on the websites of the respective districts, States and the NHRC. » The submission of six-monthly reports to NHRC on Identification, Release and rehabilitation of Bonded Labour should be ensured by all States/UTs. xi. Status report on the implementation of the CSS scheme: The States may send a status report on the implementation of the CSS scheme to MoLE within a stipulated time. Subsequently, MoLE should upload the consolidated status report on their website. xii. Skill Training Programmes and Minimum Wages: There is a need to enhance or upgrade the existing skills of the rescued bonded and migrant labourers, which will be helpful in their social and economic empowerment. For the abolition of bonded labour culture, along with the enhancement of existing skills, there is a need for providing other skills such as financial literacy, communications skills and marketing and digital literacy to socially and economically empower them under the State skill development programme. The government must ensure that the rescued labourers receive minimum wages and Minimum Support Price. ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 123