Bonded Labour (Prohibition) Act, 2002

Type: Act
Year: २०५८ BS · 2002 AD
Status: In force
Category: खण्ड १२: खाद्य, कृषि, सहकारी तथा भूमि प्रशासन · Volume 12: Food, Agriculture, Cooperative and Land Administration
Official text: Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation: Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

The Act bans kamaiya labour — unpaid or underpaid work done for a lender to repay one's own, a family member's, an ancestor's or a guaranteed person's debt — including under names such as bhaisawar, gaiwar, badhghar, chhekarwa, gothalo and kamlari. Everyone working as a kamaiya when the Act began was freed automatically, and no one may be kept or employed as a kamaiya.यस ऐनले कमैया श्रम निषेध गरेको छ — आफ्नो, परिवारको, पुर्खाको वा जमानी बसेको व्यक्तिको ऋण वा ब्याज तिर्न ऋणदाताका लागि बिना ज्याला वा न्यून ज्यालामा गर्नुपर्ने श्रम, जसमा भैंसवार, गैवार, बदघर, छेकरवा, गोठालो, कम्लरी लगायतका नामबाट गरिने श्रम पर्छ। ऐन प्रारम्भ हुँदा कमैया श्रम गरिरहेका सबै स्वतः मुक्त भएका छन् र कसैलाई पनि कमैया श्रमिकका रूपमा राख्न वा काममा लगाउन पाइँदैन। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Section 2(क)–(ख), p. 2; Sections 3–4, p. 3
Kamaiya debts no longer have to be repaid, and all written or unwritten debt agreements between lenders and kamaiyas were cancelled; lenders had to return any property held as security within three months.कमैया ऋण तिर्नुपर्दैन, र ऋणदाता र कमैयाबीचका लिखित वा अलिखित सबै ऋण सम्झौता स्वतः रद्द भएका छन्; बन्धक वा जमानतमा लिएको सम्पत्ति ऋणदाताले तीन महिनाभित्र फिर्ता गर्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 5–7, p. 3
Freed Kamaiya Rehabilitation and Monitoring Committees, chaired by the head of the District Coordination Committee in districts set by the government, keep records of freed kamaiyas, arrange and implement rehabilitation programmes, monitor whether anyone is still employed as a kamaiya, and help arrange credit. Welfare officers and a fund support this work; the government must arrange housing, employment and income for freed kamaiyas and may set a minimum wage for agricultural workers.सरकारले तोकेका जिल्लामा जिल्ला समन्वय समितिका प्रमुखको अध्यक्षतामा मुक्त कमैया पुनःस्थापना तथा अनुगमन समिति रहन्छ, जसले मुक्त कमैयाको अभिलेख अद्यावधिक गर्छ, पुनःस्थापना कार्यक्रम कार्यान्वयन गर्छ, कसैलाई कमैया श्रमिकका रूपमा लगाइएको छ कि छैन अनुगमन गर्छ र ऋण उपलब्ध गराउन सहयोग गर्छ। कल्याणकारी अधिकृत र कोषले यो काममा सघाउँछन्; सरकारले मुक्त कमैयाका लागि बसोबास, रोजगार र आयआर्जनको व्यवस्था गर्छ र कृषि श्रमिकको न्यूनतम ज्याला तोक्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 8–14, pp. 4–6
Anyone may complain, even orally. The Chief District Officer hears cases (appeal to the district court within 35 days): employing a kamaiya carries a fine of Rs 15,000–25,000 plus twice the minimum wage for each day worked, payable to the worker; failing to return pledged property, paying below minimum wage or obstructing inquiries are also fined, and penalties double for public office-holders and repeat offenders.जोकोहीले मौखिक रूपमा समेत उजुरी गर्न सक्छ। मुद्दा प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारीले हेर्छन् (३५ दिनभित्र जिल्ला अदालतमा पुनरावेदन): कसैलाई कमैया श्रमिकका रूपमा लगाए १५ हजारदेखि २५ हजार रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना र काम गरेको प्रत्येक दिनको न्यूनतम ज्यालाको दोब्बर रकम श्रमिकलाई भराइन्छ; बन्धकको सम्पत्ति फिर्ता नगरे, न्यूनतमभन्दा कम ज्याला दिए वा छानबिनमा बाधा पुर्‍याए पनि जरिवाना हुन्छ, र सार्वजनिक पदधारी वा दोहोर्‍याएर कसुर गर्नेलाई दोब्बर सजाय हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 15–18, pp. 6–8

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Not enforced The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2018) was concerned that, although domestic law prohibits bonded labour practices including haliya and kamaiya — which disproportionately affect Dalits and other marginalised castes — reports indicate these practices persist, and that measures to resettle and rehabilitate former bonded labourers with land, housing and income-generating skills are underfunded.संयुक्त राष्ट्रसङ्घीय जातीय भेदभाव उन्मूलन समिति (२०१८) ले दलित र अन्य सीमान्तकृत जातिलाई बढी असर गर्ने हलिया र कमैयालगायतका बाँधा श्रम घरेलु कानूनले निषेध गरे पनि व्यवहारमा कायमै रहेको प्रतिवेदन आएको, र पूर्व बाँधा श्रमिकलाई जग्गा, आवास र आयआर्जन सीपसहित पुनःस्थापना गर्ने कार्यक्रममा पर्याप्त बजेट नभएकोमा चिन्ता व्यक्त गरेको छ। UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination · Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text CERD/C/NPL/CO/17-23, para 27, p. 5; Act Sections 4 and 14

Ideas to fix it

The Committee recommends strengthening funding for voluntary and sustainable resettlement and rehabilitation of former bonded labourers, including affordable and adequate housing and alternative livelihoods, and reporting caste- and ethnicity-disaggregated data on investigations, prosecutions and remedies.पूर्व बाँधा श्रमिकको स्वैच्छिक र दिगो पुनःस्थापनाका लागि किफायती र पर्याप्त आवास तथा वैकल्पिक जीविकोपार्जनसहित बजेट बढाउन र छानबिन, अभियोजन र उपचारको जात तथा जातीयता छुट्टिने तथ्याङ्क दिन समितिले सिफारिस गरेको छ। Proposed by: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2018) UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

Regulations and rules made under it

Spotted an error, a loophole or a better source? Email feedback@policynepal.org. Please include the official source. We read every message but cannot promise a reply.