As many as 65 bounded labourers from Odisha's Nuapada district have alleged inhuman exploitation by the owner of a brick kiln in Hyderabad. A video to save the hapless labourers from the ordeal has gone viral.
As per reports, the labourers from Rajna, Ghoteswar, Taraboda and Balgaon villages in Nuapada came in contact with a middleman after failing to get work in the district. In November last year, after Diwali, the labourers were taken to a brick kiln located in Chandrampet of Sircilla Mandal near Hyderabad.
However, later the owner of the brick kiln allegedly exploited them and didn't pay their remuneration. When the labourers demanded their wages, the owner physically assaulted them.
Finding no other way, the labourers recorded a video describing their plight and have sought help from the State administration to rescue them.
However, the response of the Nuapada labour department officials couldn't be obtained.
Youth Tortured By Company Owner In Chhattisgarh's Raipur
In a similar incident, another video of a labourer from Odisha requesting the Sub-Collector of Redhakhol to rescue him from Raipur in Chhattisgarh has gone viral.
As alleged in the video, as many as five youths from Redhakhol town came in contact with a middleman from Kishorenagar area in Angul. The middle-man got them employed in a company in Raipur.
However, after working for around two months in the company, the owner allegedly assaulted them and tortured mentally.
The youth also alleged that the company owner took away their mobile phones.
Of the five, four succeeded in fleeing from the company leaving one behind.
The youth left behind at the company has been identified as Sribatsa Pradhan of Bhaluchua village under Redhakhol NAC.
Pradhan's family members have reportedly reached out to the Sub-Collector and have requested to take necessary steps to rescue him.
"My brother is away from home for 3-4 months and we didn't get any information on his whereabouts. He went with 4 other youths to work. One day, he contacted us over phone informing us that he was being tortured by the company owner. He was not even given food. He requested us to rescue him from that place," said Sasmita Sahoo, Pradhan's sister.
Meanwhile, Redhakhol Sub-Collector, Pabitra Behera said, "After discussing the matter with the family members, we have demanded details about his (Pradhan) location and also the contact details of the middle man. I will take up the matter with the District Labour officer and local police officials in that state after getting his details from the family. We will take the necessary steps to rescue him."