(1) The functions of each Vigilance Committee shall be — Functions of Vigilance Committees.
(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 Ordinance or of any rule made thereunder are properly implemented;
(b) to provide for the economic and social rehabilitation of the freed bonded labourers;
688 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY [PART K—
(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 Ordinance;
(e) to make a survey as to whether there is any offence of which cognizance ought to be taken under this Ordinance;
(f) to defend any suit instituted against a freed bonded labourer or a member of his family or any other person dependent 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. Whenever any debt is cladmed 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 He on the creditor.
Burden of proof.
CHAPTER VI OFFENCES AND PROCEDURE FOR TRIAL
16. Whoever, after the commencement of this Ordinance, compels1 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.
Punishment for enforcement of bonded labour.
17. Whoever advances, after the commencement of this Ordinance, 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.
Punishment for advancement of bonded debt.
18. Whoever enforces, after the commencement of this Ordinance, 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.
Punishment for extracting bonded labour under the bonded labour system.
19. Whoever, being required by this Ordinance 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 Ordinance, shall be punishable with imprisonment for ai 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.
Punishment for omission or failure to restore possession of property to bonded labourers.
SEC. 1] THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY 689 2©. Whoever abets any offence punishable under this Ordinance shall, whether or not the offence abetted as committed, be punishable with the same punishment as is provided for the offence which has been abetted.
Abetment to be an :
offence.
Explanation.—For the purpose of this Ordinance, "abetment" has the meaning assigned to it in the Indian Penal Code.45 of 1860.