RIGHTS OF THE VULNERABLE ! 77 • There is reluctance on the part of the top administration in almost every State to admit that the problem of bonded labour still exists. Most of the States hold the view that, with the coming into force of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, all the bonded labourers were released and the problem was solved for ever. • Mandatory vigilance committees at the district and sub-divisional headquarters are not in position at many places. Even where such committees were constituted they have become defunct over the years. The committees have not made a worthwhile contribution anywhere in terms of identification, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers. Wherever bonded labourers have been detected, the credit must go to NGOs and social activists who have been bringing these cases to the notice of an apathetic and unresponsive administration. • The funds provided by the Government of India under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the rehabilitation of released bonded laboiuers have been utilised to a very small extent because of a lack of interest and commitment on the part of the District Magistrates to the cause of bonded labourers. Rehabilitation of migrant bonded labourers is seen to have been totally neglected everywhere. They are invariably dispatched to their native districts without receiving any rehabilitation grant. • The efforts of the Ministry of Labour, Government of India to provide financial grants for awareness generation, the survey of bonded labour and an impact/evaluation study have not evoked an encouraging response fi:om many States. Very few States have, as yet, actually availed of the offer. • Prosecution of offenders imder the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act ,1976 has, in fact, been neglected in every State that has been reviewed so far. 8.3 With the efforts of the Commission, vigilance committees have now been constitutedin all the districts and sub-divisional headquarters of the States covered by the reviews undertaken by the Member. They are required to meet regularly and their functioning is to be supervised by the Divisional Commissioners. The Member has been emphasising to the District Magistrates that it is necessary to rehabilitate the released labourers expeditiously so that they do not relapse into bondage. He has also been suggesting that Panchayati Raj institutions be involved in the identification, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers, and that the Panchayati Raj Act be amended suitably to achieve this end, as has been done in Kamataka. ANNUAL REPORT 2001-2002