THE BONDED LABOUR SYSTEM (ABOLITION) ACT, 1976 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 

SECTIONS 

1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Act to have overriding effect. 

CHAPTER II 
ABOLITION OF BONDED LABOUR SYSTEM 

4. Abolition of bonded labour system. 
5. Agreement, custom, etc., to be void. 

CHAPTER III 
EXTINGUISHMENT OF LIABILITY TO REPAY BONDED DEBT 

6. Liability to repay bonded debt to stand extinguished. 
7. Property of bonded labourer to be freed from mortgage, etc. 
8. Freed bonded labourer not to be evicted from homestead, etc. 
9. Creditor not to accept payment against extinguished debt. 

CHAPTER IV 
IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITIES 

10. Authorities who may be specified for implementing the provisions of this Act. 
11. Duty of District Magistrate and other officers to ensure credit. 
12. Duty of District Magistrate and officers authorised by him. 

CHAPTER V 
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES 

13. Vigilance Committees. 
14. Functions of Vigilance Committees. 
15. Burden of proof. 

CHAPTER VI 
OFFENCES AND PROCEDURE FOR TRIAL 

16. Punishment for enforcement of bonded labour. 
17. Punishment for advancement of bonded debt. 
18. Punishment for extracting bonded labour under the bonded labour system. 
19. Punishment for omission or failure to restore possession of property to bonded labourers. 
20. Abetment to be an offence. 
21. Offences to be tried by Executive Magistrates. 
22. Cognizance of offences. 
23. Offences by companies. 

CHAPTER VII 
MISCELLANEOUS 

24. Protection of action taken in good faith. 
25. Jurisdiction of civil courts barred. 
26. Power to make rules. 
27. Repeal and saving. 

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THE BONDED LABOUR SYSTEM (ABOLITION) ACT, 1976 

ACT NO. 19 OF 1976 

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  abolition  of  bonded  labour  system  with  a  view  to  preventing  the 
economic  and  physical  exploitation  of  the  weaker  sections  of  the  people  and  for  matters 
connected therewith or incidental thereto. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twenty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

[9th February, 1976.] 

CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Bonded Labour System 

(Abolition) Act, 1976. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 

(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 25th day of October, 1975. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “advance” means an advance, whether in cash or in kind, or partly in cash or partly in kind, 
made by one person (hereinafter referred to as the creditor) to another person (hereinafter referred to 
as the debtor); 

(b) “agreement” means an agreement (whether written  or oral, or partly written and partly oral) 
between a debtor and creditor, and includes an agreement providing for forced labour, the existence 
of which is presumed under any social custom prevailing in the concerned locality. 

Explanation.—The  existence  of  an  agreement  between  the  debtor  and  creditor  is  ordinarily 

presumed, under the social custom, in relation to the following forms of forced labour, namely:— 

Adiyamar,  Baramasia,  Basahya,  Bethu,  Bhagela,  Cherumar,  Garru-Galu,  Hali,  Hari,  Harwai, 
Holya,  Jana,  Jeetha,  Kamiya,  Khundit-Mundit,  Kuthia,  Lakhari,  Munjhi,  Mat,  Munish  system, 
Nit-Majoor, Paleru, Padiyal, Pannayilal, Sagri, Sanji,Sanjawat, Sewak, Sewakia, Seri, Vetti; 

(c) “ascendant” or “descendant”, in relation to a person belonging to a matriarchal society, means 
the person who corresponds to such expression in accordance with the law of succession in force in 
such society; 

(d) “bonded debt” means an advance obtained, or presumed to have been obtained, by a bonded 

labourer under, or in pursuance of, the bonded labour system; 

(e) “bonded labour” means any labour or service rendered under the bonded labour system; 

(f) “bonded labourer” means a labourer who incurs, or has, or is presumed to have, incurred, a 

bonded debt; 

(g) “bonded labour system” means the system of forced, or partly forced, labour under which a 
debtor enters, or has, or is presumed to have, entered, into an agreement with the creditor to the effect 
that,— 

(i)  in  consideration  of  an  advance  obtained  by  him  or  by  any  of  his  lineal  ascendants  or 
descendants (whether or not such advance is evidenced by any document) and in consideration of 
the interest, if any, due on such advance, or 

(ii) in pursuance of any customary or social obligation, or 

(iii) in pursuance of an obligation devolving on him by succession, or 

(iv)  for  any  economic  consideration  received  by  him  or  by  any  of  his  lineal  ascendants  or 

descendants, or 

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(v) by reason of his birth in any particular caste or community, 

he would— 

(1) render, by himself or through any member of his family, or any person dependent on him, 
labour or service to the creditor, or for the benefit of the creditor, for a specified period or for an 
unspecified period, either without wages or for nominal wages, or 

(2) forfeit the freedom of employment or other means of livelihood for a specified period or 

for an unspecified period, or 

(3) forfeit the right to move freely throughout the territory of India, or 

(4) forfeit the right to appropriate or sell at market value any of his property or product of his 

labour or the labour of a member of his family or any person dependent on him, 

and includes the system of forced, or partly forced, labour under which a surety for a debtor enters, or 
has, or is presumed to have, entered, into an agreement with the creditor to the effect that in the event 
of  the  failure  of  the  debtor  to  repay  the  debt,  he  would  render  the  bonded  labour  on  behalf  of  the 
debtor. 

1[Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that any system of forced, or partly 
forced labour under which any workman being contract labour as defined in clause (b) of sub-section (1) 
of section 2 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 (37 of 1970), or an inter-State 
migrant  workman  as  defined  in  clause  (e)  of  sub-section  (1)  of  section  2  of  the  Inter-State  Migrant 
Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 (30 of 1979), is required to 
render  labour  or  service in  circumstances  of  the  nature  mentioned  in  sub-clause  (1)  of  this  clause  or is 
subjected to all or any of the disabilities referred to in sub-clauses (2) to (4), is “bonded labour system” 
within the meaning of this clause;] 

(h) “family”, in relation to a person, includes the ascendant and descendant of such person; 

(i) “nominal wages”, in relation to any labour, means a wage which is less than,— 

(a) the minimum wages fixed by the Government, in relation to the same or similar labour, 

under any law for the time being in force, and 

(b) where no such minimum wage has been fixed in relation to any form of labour, the wages 
that  are  normally  paid, for  the  same  or  similar  labour,  to  the  labourers  working  in  the  same 
locality; 

3.  Act  to  have  overriding  effect.—The  provisions  of  this  Act  shall  have  effect  notwithstanding 
anything  inconsistent  therewith  contained  in  any  enactment  other  than  this  Act,  or  in  any  instrument 
having effect by virtue of any enactment other than this Act. 

CHAPTER II 

ABOLITION OF BONDED LABOUR SYSTEM 

4. Abolition of bonded labour system.—(1) On the commencement of this Act, the bonded labour 
system shall stand abolished and every bonded labourer shall,  on such commencement, stand freed and 
discharged from any obligation to render any bonded labour. 

(2) After the commencement of this Act, no person shall— 

(a) make any advance under, or in pursuance of, the bonded labour system, or 

(b) compel any person to render any bonded labour or other form of forced labour. 

1. Explanation added by Act 73 of 1985, s. 2 (w.e.f. 24-12-1985).  

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5. Agreement, custom, etc., to be void.—On the commencement of this Act, any custom or tradition 
or  any  contract,  agreement  or  other  instrument  (whether  entered  into  or  executed  before  or  after  the 
commencement of this Act), by virtue of which any person, or any member of the family or dependant of 
such  person,  is  required  to  do  any  work  or  render  any  service  as  a  bonded  labourer,  shall  be  void  and 
inoperative. 

CHAPTER III 

EXTINGUISHMENT OF LIABILITY TO REPAY BONDED DEBT 

6. Liability to repay bonded debt to stand extinguished.—(1) On the commencement of this Act, 
every  obligation  of  a  bonded  labourer  to  repay  any  bonded  debt,  or  such  part  of  any  bonded  debt  as 
remains unsatisfied immediately before such commencement, shall be deemed to have been extinguished. 

(2)  After  the  commencement  of  this  Act,  no  suit  or  other  proceeding  shall lie in  any  civil  court  or 

before any other authority for the recovery of any bonded debt or any part thereof. 

(3) Every decree or order for the recovery of bonded debt, passed before the commencement of this 
Act and not fully satisfied before such commencement, shall be deemed, on such commencement, to have 
been fully satisfied. 

(4)  Every  attachment  made  before  the  commencement  of  this  Act,  for  the  recovery  of  any  bonded 
debt,  shall,  on  such  commencement,  stand  vacated;  and,  where,  in  pursuance  of  such  attachment,  any 
movable  property  of  the  bonded  labourer  was  seized  and  removed  from  his  custody  and  kept  in  the 
custody of any court or other authority pending sale thereof, such movable property shall be restored, as 
soon as may be practicable after such commencement, to the possession of the bonded labourer. 

(5) Where, before the commencement of this Act, possession of any property belonging to a bonded 
labourer  or  a  member  of  his family  or  other  dependant  was  forcibly  taken  over  by  any  creditor  for the 
recovery  of  any  bonded  debt,  such property  shall be restored, as soon as  may  be  practicable  after such 
commencement, to the possession of the person from whom it was seized. 

(6) If restoration of the possession of any property referred to in sub-section (4) or sub-section (5) is 
not made within thirty days from the commencement of this Act, the aggrieved person may, within such 
time as may be prescribed, apply to the prescribed authority for the restoration of the possession of such 
property  and  the  prescribed  authority  may,  after  giving  the  creditor  a  reasonable  opportunity  of  being 
heard, direct the creditor to restore to the applicant the possession of the concerned property within such 
time as may be specified in the order. 

(7) An order made by any prescribed authority, under sub-section (6), shall be deemed to be an order 
made by a civil court and may be executed by the court of the lowest pecuniary jurisdiction within the 
local  limits  of  whose  jurisdiction  the  creditor  voluntarily  resides  or  carries  on  business  or  personally 
works for gain. 

(8)  For  the  avoidance  of  doubts,  it  is  hereby  declared  that,  where  any  attached  property  was  sold 
before the commencement of this Act, in execution of a decree or order for the recovery of a bonded debt, 
such sale shall not be affected by any provision of this Act: 

Provided  that  the  bonded  labourer,  or  an  agent  authorised  by  him  in  this  behalf,  may,  at  any  time 
within five years from such commencement, apply to have the sale set aside on his depositing in court, for 
payment to the decree-holder, the amount specified in the proclamation of sale, for the recovery of which 
the  sale  was  ordered,  less  any  amount,  as  well  as  mesne  profits,  which  may,  since  the  date  of  such 
proclamation of sale, have been received by the decree-holder. 

(9)  Where  any  suit  or  proceeding,  for  the  enforcement  of  any  obligation  under  the  bonded  labour 
system,  including  a  suit  or  proceeding  for  the  recovery  of  any  advance  made  to  a  bonded  labourer,  is 
pending at the commencement of this Act, such suit or other proceeding shall, on such commencement, 
stand dismissed. 

(10) On the commencement of this Act, every bonded labourer who has been detained in civil prison, 

whether before or after judgment, shall be released from detention forthwith. 

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7.  Property  of  bonded  labourer  to  be  freed  from  mortgage,  etc.—(1)  All  property  vested  in  a 
bonded  labourer  which  was,  immediately  before  the  commencement  of  this  Act  under  any  mortgage, 
charge, lien or other incumbrances in connection with any bonded debt shall, in so far as it is relatable to 
the bonded debt, stand freed and discharged from such mortgage, charge, lien or other incumbrances, and 
where any such property was, immediately before the commmencement of this Act, in the possession of 
the mortgagee or the holder of the charge, lien or incumbrance, such property shall (except where it was 
subject  to  any  other  charge),  on  such  commencement,  be  restored  to  the  possession  of  the  bonded 
labourer. 

(2) If any delay is made in restoring any property, referred to in sub-section (1), to the possession of 
the  bonded  labourer,  such  labourer  shall  be  entitled,  on  and  from  the  date  of  such  commencement,  to 
recover from the mortgagee or holder of the lien, charge or incumbrance, such mesne profits as may be 
determined  by  the  civil  court  of  the  lowest  pecuniary  jurisdiction  within  the  local  limits  of  whose 
jurisdiction such property is situated. 

8. Freed bonded labourer not to be evicted from homestead, etc.—(1) No person who has been 
freed  and  discharged  under  this  Act  from  any  obligation  to  render  any  bonded  labour,  shall  be  evicted 
from  any  homestead  or  other  residential  premises  which  he  was  occupying  immediately  before  the 
commencement of this Act as part of the consideration for the bonded labour. 

(2)  If,  after  the  commencement  of  this  Act,  any  such  person  is  evicted  by  the  creditor  from  any 
homestead or other residential premises, referred to in sub-section (1), the Executive Magistrate in charge 
of  the  Sub-Division  within  which  such  homestead  or  residential  premises  is  situated  shall,  as  early  as 
practicable, restore the bonded labourer to the possession of such homestead or other residential premises. 

9.  Creditor  not  to  accept  payment  against  extinguished  debt.—(1)  No  creditor  shall  accept  any 
payment against any bonded debt which has been extinguished or deemed to have been extinguished or 
fully satisfied by virtue of the provisions of this Act. 

(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment for 

a term which may extend to three years and also with fine. 

(3)  The  court,  convicting  any  person  under  sub-section  (2)  may,  in  addition  to  the  penalties  which 
may  be  imposed  under  that  sub-section,  direct  the  person  to  deposit,  in  court,  the  amount  accepted  in 
contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), within such period as may be specified in the order for 
being refunded to the bonded labourer. 

CHAPTER IV 

IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITIES 

10.  Authorities  who  may  be  specified  for  implementing  the  provisions  of  this  Act.—The  State 
Government  may  confer  such  powers  and  impose  such  duties  on  a  District  Magistrate  as  may  be 
necessary to ensure that the provisions of this Act are properly carried out and the District Magistrate may 
specify the officer, subordinate to him, who shall exercise all or any of the powers, and perform all or any 
of the duties, so conferred or imposed and the  local limits within which such powers or duties shall be 
carried out by the officer so specified. 

11.  Duty  of  District  Magistrate  and  other  officers  to  ensure  credit.—The  District  Magistrate 
authorised by the State Government under section 10 and the officer specified by the District Magistrate 
under that section shall, as far as practicable, try to promote the welfare of the freed bonded labourer by 
securing  and  protecting  the  economic  interests  of  such  bonded  labourer  so  that  he  may  not  have  any 
occasion or reason to contract any further bonded debt. 

12.  Duty  of  District  Magistrate  and  officers  authorised  by  him.—It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every 
District  Magistrate  and  every  officer  specified  by  him  under  section  10  to  inquire  whether,  after  the 
commencement  of  this  Act,  any  bonded  labour  system  or  any  other  form  of  forced  labour  is  being 
enforced  by,  or  on  behalf  of,  any  person  resident  within  the  local  limits  of  his  jurisdiction  and  if,  as  a 
result of such inquiry, any person is found to be enorcing the bonded labour system or any other system 
of forced labour, he shall forthwith take such action as may be necessary to eradicate the enforcement of 
such forced labour. 

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CHAPTER V 

VIGILANCE COMMITTEES 

13.  Vigilance  Committees.—(1)  Every  State  Government  shall,  by  notification  in  the  Official 
Gazette, constitute such number of Vigilance Committees in each district and each Sub-Division as it may 
think fit. 

(2)  Each  Vigilance  Committee,  constituted  for  a  district,  shall  consist  of  the  following  members, 

namely:— 

(a) the District Magistrate, or a person nominated by him, who shall be the Chairman; 

(b)  three  persons  belonging  to  the  Scheduled  Castes  or  Scheduled  Tribes  and  residing  in  the 

district, to be nominated by the District Magistrate; 

(c) two social workers, resident in the district, to be nominated by the District Magistrate; 

(d)  not  more  than  three  persons  to  represent  the  official  or  non-official  agencies  in  the  district 

connected with rural development, to be nominated by the State Government; 

(e) one person to represent the financial and credit institutions in the district, to be nominated by 

the District Magistrate. 

(3)  Each  Vigilance  Committee,  constituted  for  a  Sub-Division,  shall  consist  of  the  following 

members, namely:— 

(a) the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or a person nominated by him, who shall be the Chairman; 

(b)  three  persons  belonging  to  the  Scheduled  Castes  or  Scheduled  Tribes  and  residing  in  the              

Sub-Division, to be nominated by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate; 

(c)  two  social  workers,  resident  in  the  Sub-Division,  to  be  nominated  by  the  Sub-Divisional 

Magistrate; 

(d)  not  more  than  three  persons  to  represent  the  official  or  non-official  agencies  in  the             

Sub-Division connected with rural development to be nominated by the District Magistrate; 

(e)  one  person  to  represent  the  financial  and  credit  institutions  in  the  Sub-Division,  to  be 

nominated by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate; 

(f) one officer specified under section 10 and functioning in the Sub-Division. 

(4) Each Vigilance Committee shall regulate its own procedure and secretarial assistance, as may be 

necessary, shall be provided by— 

(a) the District Magistrate, in the case of a Vigilance Committee constituted for the district; 

(b)  the  Sub-Divisional  Magistrate,  in  the  case  of  a  Vigilance  Committee  constituted  for  the                  

Sub-Division. 

(5) No proceeding of a Vigilance Committee shall be invalid merely by reason of any defect in the 

constitution, or in the proceedings, of the Vigilance Committee. 

14.  Functions  of  Vigilance  Committees.—(1)  The  functions  of  each  Vigilance  Committee  shall 

be,— 

(a) to advise the District Magistrate or any officer authorised by him as to the efforts made, and 
action  taken,  to  ensure  that  the  provisions  of  this  Act  or  of  any  rule  made  thereunder  are  properly 
implemented; 

(b) to provide for the economic and social rehabilitation of the freed bonded labourers; 

(c) to co-ordinate the functions of rural banks and co-operative societies with a view to canalising 

adequate credit to the freed bonded labourer; 

(d) to keep an eye on the number of offences of which cognizance has been taken under this Act; 

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(e) to make a survey as to whether there is any offence of which cognizance ought to be taken under 

this Act; 

(f)  to  defend  any  suit  instituted  against  a  freed  bonded  labourer  or  a  member  of  his  family  or  any 
other person dependant on him for the recovery of the whole or part of any bonded debt or any other debt 
which is claimed by such person to be bonded debt. 

(2) A Vigilance Committee may authorise one of its members to defend a suit against a freed bonded 
labourer and the member so authorised shall be deemed, for the purpose of such suit, to be the authorised 
agent of the freed bonded labourer. 

15.  Burden  of  proof.—Whenever  any  debt  is  claimed  by  a  bonded  labourer,  or  a  Vigilance 
Committee, to be a bonded debt, the burden of proof that such debt is not a bonded debt shall lie on the 
creditor. 

CHAPTER VI 

OFFENCES AND PROCEDURE FOR TRIAL 

16.  Punishment  for  enforcement  of  bonded  labour.—Whoever,  after  the  commencement  of  this 
Act, compels any person to render any bonded labour shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term 
which may extend to three years and also with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees. 

17. Punishment for advancement of bonded debt.—Whoever advances, after the commencement 
of this Act, any bonded debt shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three 
years and also with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees. 

18.  Punishment  for  extracting  bonded  labour  under  the  bonded  labour  system.—Whoever 
enforces,  after  the  commencement  of  this  Act,  any  custom,  tradition,  contract,  agreement  or  other 
instrument, by virtue of which any person or any member of the family of such person or any dependant 
of such person is required to render any service under the bonded labour system, shall be punishable with 
imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and also with fine which may extend to two 
thousand rupees; and, out of the fine, if recovered, payment shall be made to the bonded labourer at the 
rate of rupees five for each day for which the bonded labour was extracted from him. 

19.  Punishment  for  omission  or  failure  to  restore  possession  of  property  to  bonded                

labourers.—Whoever, being required by this Act to restore any property to the possession of any bonded 
labourer, omits or fails to do so, within a period of thirty days from the commencement of this Act, shall 
be  punishable  with  imprisonment  for  a  term  which  may  extend  to  one  year,  or  with  fine  which  may 
extend to one thousand rupees, or with both; and, out of the fine, if recovered, payment shall be made to 
the bonded labourer at the rate of rupees five for each day during which  possession of the property was 
not restored to him. 

20.  Abetment  to  be  an  offence.—Whoever  abets  any  offence  punishable  under  this  Act  shall, 
whether or not the offence abetted is committed, be punishable with the same punishment as is provided 
for the offence which has been abetted. 

Explanation,—For the purpose of this Act, “abetment” has the meaning assigned to it in the Indian 

Penal Code (45 of 1860). 

21.  Offences  to  be  tried  by  Executive  Magistrates.—(1)  The  State  Government  may  confer,  on                
an  Executive  Magistrate,  the  powers  of  a  Judicial  Magistrate  of  the  first  class  or  of  the  second  class                     
for  the  trial  of  offences  under  this  Act;  and,  on  such  conferment  of  powers,  the  Executive  Magistate,                 
on  whom  the  powers  are  so  conferred,  shall  be  deemed,  for  the  purposes  of  the  Code  of  Criminal 
Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), to be a Judicial Magistrate of the first class, or of the second class, as the 
case may be. 

(2) An offence under this Act may be tried summarily by a Magistrate. 

22. Cognizance of offences.—Every offence under this Act shall be cognizable and bailable. 

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23.  Offences  by  companies.—(1)  Where  an  offence  under  this  Act  has  been  committed  by  a 
company,  every  person  who,  at  the  time  the  offence  was  committed,  was  in  charge  of,  and  was 
responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall 
be  deemed  to  be  guilty  of  the  offence  and  shall  be  liable  to  be  proceeded  against  and  punished 
accordingly. 

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where any offence under this Act has been 
committed  by  a  company  and  it  is  proved  that  the  offence  has  been  committed  with  the  consent  or 
connivance of, or is attributable to, any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other 
officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall be deemed to be guilty of 
that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly. 

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section,— 

(a) “company” means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; 

and 

(b) “director” , in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm. 

CHAPTER VII 

MISCELLANEOUS 

24. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall 
lie against any State Government or any officer of the State Government or any member of the Vigilance 
Committee for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act. 

25.  Jurisdiction  of  civil  courts  barred.—No  civil  court  shall  have  jurisdiction  in  respect  of  any 
matter to which any provision of this Act applies and no injunction shall be granted by any civil court in 
respect of anything which is done or intended to be done by or under this Act. 

26. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act. 

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any 

of the following matters, namely:— 

(a) the authority to which application for the restoration of possession of property referred to in 
sub-section (4), or sub-section (5), of section 6 is to be submitted in pursuance of sub-section (6) of 
that section; 

(b)  the  time  within  which  application  for  restoration  of  possession  of  property  is  to  be  made, 

under sub-section (6) of section 6, to the prescribed authority; 

(c) steps to be taken by Vigilance Committees under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 14, to 

ensure the implementation of the provisions of this Act or of any rule made thereunder; 

(d) any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed. 

(3) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it 
is made, before each House of Parliament while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may 
be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session 
immediately  following  the  session  or  successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in  making  any 
modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter 
have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such 
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under 
that rule. 

27. Repeal and saving.—(1) The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Ordinance, 1975 (17 of 1975) 

is hereby repealed. 

(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the Ordinance (including 
any  notification  published,  direction  or  nomination  made,  power  conferred,  duty  imposed  or  officer 
specified) shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act. 

8 

