TV
Four out of the five Odia workers rescued from the Silkyara tunnel at Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi will be reunited with their families today.
The Odisha government has made arrangements for a special vehicle in which they will be taken to their respective villages. The tunnel collapse survivors arrived at Bhubaneswar airport yesterday.
The returnees are Raju Naik, Dhiren Naik and Biseswar Naik of Mayurbhanj, and Bhagaban Bhatra of Nabarangpur district. District Labour Officer (DLO) of Mayurbhanj has been entrusted with the task to take them home safely.
Tapan Mandal of Bhadrak district, who stayed back for some reason, is also expected to return soon.
Both Bandhasahi and Uparbedha in Bangiriposhi under Mayurbhanj district which is home to Biseswar Naik and Dhiren Naik respectively have been awaiting their beloved family member with tear-filled eyes.
As per reports, Bandhasahi, which is home to the in-laws of Biseswar Naik have been decorated to receive him upon his arrival. Naik’s relatives have started coming to the village. Villagers are ready with garlands and music.
Folk dancers have already started dancing to the tunes of Santhali songs. They do not want to leave any stone unturned in making the tunnel survivors feel like a hero.
More than the villagers, Naik’s wife and children have been waiting to reunite with him after the horrifying incident that threatened to make them never see Naik again.
Similarly, Raju Naik’s village at Kuldiha has also been decorated to receive him. The village road has been painted with Odisha’s traditional ‘Chita’. A ‘kirtan’ has also been arranged at his village as an offering to God made by his family members praying for his safe return.
Moreover, the villagers have made sure to make Raju Naik’s return a grand affair and fill his day with lights as he and 40 other workers were forced to spend 17 days trapped inside the tunnel in the dark. Villagers are ready with firecrackers to burst upon his arrival. It is like a Diwali after Diwali in Kuldiha.
The workers arrived at Bhubaneswar airport after being discharged from All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Rishikesh on Thursday following their rescue from the tunnel.
After arriving at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, the labourers went straight to Naveen Niwas where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met them and enquired about their health conditions and expressed his happiness for their safe return.
The CM also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the four labourers.
