The Supreme Court today directed all states and union territories to conduct fresh surveys to identify bonded labour problems in the country and regretted that a large number of children continue to work as domestic help even after the enactment of the Right to Education Act.

A bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said in a judgement that it shall be the duty of the local bodies and panchayats to identify such children and ensure that they get proper education.

Referring to bonded labour practice, the apex court said that after the perusal of the NHRC and other reports it is clear that the practise is rampant.

The court said it is common in brick kilns, stone quarries, crushing mines, beedi manufacturing, carpet weaving, construction industries, agriculture, in rural and urban unorganised and informal sector, power looms and cotton handlooms, fish processing etc.

The court passed the directions while dealing with a 1985 PIL filed by Public Union For Civil Liberties, highlighting bonded labour practise in the country.