8 Odia youths stranded in Dubai return home safely after BJP National VP Baijayant Panda’s intervention

Happiness was written all over the faces of eight Odia youths who returned to Odisha from Dubai after going through serious hardships for the last few months. 

The youths, stranded in Dubai, finally returned to their homes following the intervention of BJP National Vice President and Kendrapara MP, Baijayant Panda.

The indebted members of the families expressed their gratitude by felicitating Panda at Bhubaneswar Airport.

As per sources, Maruta Das, son of late Suresh Das of Naladhalia village under Pattamundai block in Kendrapara district and Abhimanyu Behera, son of Ramchandra Behera of Nimapur village; Narayan Samal, son of Shatrughan Samal of Nehulia Village in Jagatsinghpur district; Mitu Pattanayak, son of Narendranath Pattanayak of Kalapada village in Cuttack district; Ramesh Hati, Naresh Hati and Bichitrananda Hati, sons of Bimbadhar Hati of Korapada village and Pitabasa Pradhan, son of Dushasan Pradhan of Kulasarichuhan village had gone to Dubai through an agent to work there as plumbers on May 19.

On reaching there, the company authorities tasked them with different jobs. When they opposed, they were terminated. Subsequently, they had no option but to take shelter in a mosque. They went through severe ordeal during the period.

Without having any alternative, the family members of the youths requested Panda to intervene in getting them back to India. Panda wrote a letter to the Indian Ambassador in Dubai on July 4, requesting his intervention for the safe repatriation of the Odia youths who are stranded there. Eventually, the stranded youths returned home safely.

“At the request of their families, I had followed up on their case with@cgidubai... Gratitude to the Government of India and the dedicated embassy officials for their unwavering support and assistance in bringing them back home,” wrote Panda on X (earlier known as Twitter).

“I have been doing it for the last 20 years. However, the staff of the Indian Embassy have been very helpful for the last 10 years. They are cooperating a lot. Whenever our Odia people get stranded in the Middle East and other countries, it gives me great pleasure to get them back into the country. In the coming days we should create employment opportunities in Odisha so that our people will not be forced to go outside,” said Panda.