Following the intervention of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Vice President, Baijayant 'Jay' Panda, labourers stranded in Gabon in Central Africa are safely returning to their homes.
Of the 21 labourers from several parts of India stranded in Gabon in Central Africa, five labourers returned to India in the first phase. Moreover, five more labourers are returning to Odisha’s Kendrapara today.
The office of the BJP National Vice President on Thursday informed this in a press release.
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In the first phase, five labourers returned to India on November 26. In the second phase, five labourers are returning to Odisha’s Kendrapara today. The rest 11 labourers will return in phases, stated the press release.
Notably, as many as 21 labourers including 14 from Odisha, four from Bihar and one each from Rajasthan, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh had gone to Gabon through an agent, with the hope of earning a livelihood. While the agent promised them a job with a monthly salary of Rs 50,000, they had given him Rs 1 lakh each.
After reaching there, they were allegedly forced to live a wretched life. The company authorities subjected them to physical and mental torture and forced them to work for over 12 hours every day.
In a video message, they had informed about their plights to their respective family members.
The worried family members had turned to Baijayant Panda through BJP's Kendrapara district vice president, Krushnachandra Panda and requested him to take steps to bring them back to India.
In turn, the BJP’s National Vice President contacted the Indian Ambassador, briefed him about the Indian labourers’ predicament and requested assistance and support to bring the labourers back to India safely.