Bolangir: Despite the tall claims of the government on enforcement of strict laws to curb trafficking of migrant labourers to and from Odisha, the illegal activities continue unabated in many parts of the State.
As many as 21 migrant labourers including four women and 17 men were rescued from Kantabanji railway station while they were being taken to Andhra Pradesh on Thursday night.
According to sources, Kantabanji police received information from a person that 21 people from Siluana village were being taken to Andhra Pradesh by a contractor to work as labourers.
A team of police officials rushed to the spot and confiscated their documents while rescuing all the people. They were sent back to their villages after preliminary investigation. The labour agent, who was taking them to Andhra Pradesh, has been detained.
“We have no employment opportunity in the village. It’s even becoming hard for us to earn our living. Government is also not providing us any work. Therefore, we are forced to go to Andhra Pradesh to work in the brick kilns there,” said a migrant worker.
Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Earlier on November 14, as many as 56 migrant labourers including 23 women and eight children were rescued from Kantabanji station while they were being trafficked to Hyderabad.
(Edited by Ramakant Biswas)