Bargarh: Around 24 labourers from Odisha’s Bargarh are reportedly trapped in a brick kiln in Peddapalli area of Telangana since October last year. A complaint in this regard was also lodged at Paikmal Police Station here by the family members of the labourers on February 24.
The 24 labourers along with 11 children belonging to Jogindranathpur and Jhitiki villages under Paikmal police limits of Bargarh district had gone to work at a brick kiln at Ratanpur under Karimnagar Police limits in Telangana with the help of a middleman, whose identity is yet to be known.
However after few months of work, the migrant labourers recently released a video alleging that they were being forced to work for more than 12 hours and assaulted by the brick kiln owner. The labourers further informed that they are not being provided adequate food and paid their wages.
“We had come to Telangana to work but we are struggling a lot here now. The health condition of our children is deteriorating and they (middlemen and owner) are not allowing us to visit hospital for treatment. They are even not giving us food or paying us our wages regularly,” alleged a labourer of Jogindranathpur village through a video.
“Despite working for more than 12 hours, we are being tortured by the owner. I request CM Naveen Patnaik to rescue us from here,” appealed another labourer.
“We are being assaulted and not even served food. I request the State Governemnt to take us back home,” said another trapped labourer.
Meanwhile, the district labour officer also intimated the matter to the Labour Commissioner office and sought its intervention for the rescue and repatriation of the labourers.