Odisha govt taking advantage of labourers’ weaknesses: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday targeted the Odisha government by alleging that the BJD government is taking advantage of the weaknesses of the labourers.

Addressing a press conference, the BJP said, “The labour minister had told the Assembly on November 23 that no one from Bhadrak district has gone out of the state as migrant worker. Then who is Tapan Mandal from Bhadrak, rescued from the Uttarkashi tunnel. Did he not go out of the state to work?”

“Raju Naik, Dhiren Naik and Biseshwar Naik from Mayurbhanj were also stuck in the tunnel while working out of the state,” the BJP said.

The saffron party has also slammed the state government over the continuous deaths of migrant labourers outside the state and the issue of the former Block Chairperson of Sambalpur Dhankauda, who is reportedly working as a 'dadan' (migrant labourer) in Tamil Nadu.

There was no immediate reaction from either the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) or the state government.

Notably, the former Block chairperson of Dhankauda in Sambalpur, Kanti Kumbhar is now wallowing in hardship and poverty. To eke out her living, she migrated to Tamil Nadu, where she is now working in a cotton mill.