Calcutta, July 3: Bengal does have bonded labour, the state government has admitted.

The government has also conceded that Bengal is a supplier of bonded labourers.

The state labour department has identified 121 bonded labourers connected with Bengal in a span of 12 months. Of them, 62 labourers were found working in brick kilns in North 24-Parganas.

The government so far has been denying the existence of bonded labour in the state and the figures are being released only now.

According to labour secretary Subesh Das, all the 121 people hailed from Bihar and were lured into bonded labour by contractors for a pittance. They were living in abysmal conditions, officials said.

Besides, the government has realised that 59 people hailing from Bengal were sent to Rajasthan, Delhi and Bihar. The 27 men located in Rajasthan were engaged in polishing diamonds, while 27 others in Delhi were being made to do zari work.

Of the workers from Bengal who were found in other states, 27 hailed from West Midnapore, 18 from Burdwan, eight from North Dinajpur and two from Darjeeling. One was from Birbhum. Three have not been accounted for.

All the labourers are men, the officials said.

“We’re trying to rehabilitate these people in dairy, tailoring and wooden furniture units to make them financially independent,” the labour secretary said.

The term “bonded labour” refers to services rendered under forced conditions and such people do not have the liberty to leave their place of work because of the money they owe their employers.

The Supreme Court has said that outstation workers should be given Rs 1,000 before they are sent home.

For those hailing from the state, the Centre contributes Rs 10,000 under a scheme for bonded labourers, while the state gives another Rs 10,000 to rehabilitate them in some business.

The state government, though, was not quick in arranging for the rehabilitation of the bonded workers, the officials admitted.

The labour department missed the December 31, 2006, deadline, which was fixed for resettling 58 people. It could rehabilitate only 44 in March this year. The rest were resettled in May.

The state labour department is also running schools for 29,850 child workers. The department is giving out a monthly assistance of Rs 100 to every child’s family.

However, of 885 sanctioned schools, the labour department has been able to run only 576 so far.