Patnagarh: Patnagarhpolice busted a human trafficking racket in Bolangir district by rescuing six bonded labourers, including four men and two women. A child was also among those rescued. The police rescued the labourers from Banjijhal Chowk while they were being trafficked to Hyderabad. The family had taken an advance of Rs 45,000 from the Dadan Sardars.

The two Dadan Sardars, identified as Gopal Bariha of Nilji Bahal village and Virendra Bariha of Dumer Padar, have been arrested. The rescued workers have been sent back to their villages.

Dadan Sardars are labour contractors or recruiters who give advance payments (or dadan) to labourers in exchange for their commitment to work, often in distant States. The practice is particularly prevalent in poverty-stricken regions of Odisha from where workers migrate annually in search of better wages. While the initial cash advance can seem like a lifeline for desperate families, the system is notorious for exploitation.

Recently, a labour trafficking racket was exposed in Bolangir, a hotspot of such activities. Authorities rescued 55 people, including 14 children, while they were being sent to brick kilns and construction sites outside Odisha.