Muduli was later rescued by officials of Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district and declared a bonded labourer under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, then a landmark in India’s history, completed 50 years of enactment in February 2026. Every district administration in Odisha was asked to create a corpus fund of ₹10 lakh so that immediate relief could be provided to released bonded labour. Under the 1976 law, identification, release and rehabilitation of freed bonded labour is the direct responsibility of States and Union Territories. “The government is unwilling to acknowledge that caste-based bondage still exists and comes under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976,” he says.

Source: The Hindu February 19, 2026 22:54 UTC