8 Chinese nationals asked to leave India by June 17

Bhadrak: Eight Chinese nationals, working on an expansion project of Adani Group-controlled Dhamra Port Company Limited in Bhadrak district, were asked to leave the country by June 17, said Bhadrak SP Nihar Ranjan Das today.

Das added individual notices were served to the eight Chinese nationals this evening.

Earlier in the day, Home Secretary Asit Tripathy said, “The state government has asked the Director of Intelligence and the Superintendent of Police, Bhadrak to execute 'Leave India' notices on the Chinese nationals.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had informed the state government last week about the presence of 10 Chinese nationals in Bhadrak district where sensitive defense establishments were located.

“We are taking required steps as per the law to ensure their departure from the state and also the country,” Tripathy said.

Stating that the notices were issued as per the suggestion of the foreigners division of the MHA, he said the Chinese nationals were engaged by a Thai company at the port since a few months.

Though the Chinese nationals were holding business visas, they worked as employees of the Thai company.

Initially, 19 Chinese nationals came to Bhadrak and worked under the Thai company on DPCL’s expansion project. Meanwhile, nine of them have already left the state.

They were mostly working on soil testing for the expansion project of the Port and staying outside the Dhamra Port Company Limited campus. They were staying in a rented house in Bhadrak district, a port insider said.

The government action in this regard came as the foreigners were found engaged in work at a place close to the missile-launch facility at APJ Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler’s Island.