According to sources, two agents who are yet to be identified lured the labourers to the Middle East country promising them lucrative jobs. However, the labourers alleged that they are not being paid and even denied of basic necessities like two meals a day. They also alleged that they are being forced to work 12 hours a day.
The matter came to light after the family members of the labourers found about their plight from a video.
Lodging a complaint, the families of the labourers have urged the district administration to take steps to ensure safe return of the labourers.
Kandha Mallick, relative of a labourer said they are concerned after coming to know about the incident. We don’t need anything else but the safe return of our family member.
On the other hand, the administration has assured to take all possible steps to ensure that the labourers return to their families safely. Besides it has also urged the people to know all the details of any company before going for an employment.
Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said “We will contact the foreign embassy within a day or two and find out whether the stranded labourers need rescue or any other form of assistance.”
When the matter was flagged on Twitter, External Affairs minister S.Jaishankar had intervened and informed that the Consulate General of India in Dubai is working to resolve the issue. Later, the Consulate General of India in Dubai clarified that 25 workers from Odisha, UP, Bihar and Rajasthan are wanting to return and formalities for their return to be completed in a few days.
Even Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday sought the intervention of the External Affairs Minister for release of the workers.
Sangram Pattnaik, a social worker in Dubai, said, “After getting the contact number of the labourers from OTV office, we went to the consulate general office of Dubai. We hope that the stranded labourers will be back in Odisha in 2 to 3 weeks.”
The stranded Odia labourers are from Nayagarh, Ganjam, Balasore and Jagatsinghpur districts. All of them had gone to Dubai 11 months back and were engaged in carpentry and paint work there.
The labourers had complained of torture and living under difficult conditions in Dubai and shared videos of their plight on social media.
However, after Centre’s assurance, family members of the stranded labourers have thanked the authorities.
“We came to know that they are living under extremely difficult condition. OTV team had reached our village to collect information about them,” sister of a stranded labourer said.
District collector of Ganjam, Kulange Vijay Amruta said, “We will work to bring all the labourers safely back to Odisha.”
This is not the first time that Odia labourers have been found stranded in another country. Earlier, on multiple occasions, Odia labourers were repatriated with the effort of former MP and BJP national Vice-President Baijayant 'Jay' Panda.
The matter came to light after the family members of the labourers met the Labour Commissioner today seeking intervention in repatriation of the stranded labourers.
Sources said the labourers hailing from Tihania, Ujjwalapur, Padinapalli, Baniaru, Ostapada, Kairasi, Manikapur in Ganjam district have been stranded in Dubai for several months.
In a video released earlier, the labourers had narrated about the hardship faced by them in Dubai.
They have alleged that after moving to work in Dubai with the help of a local agent they have been facing lot of adversities. Despite working overtime, they said that their employer is not willing to pay their dues and is also subjecting them to physical and mental harassment.
Last month, after OTV had telecast a report showing plight of ten Odia labourers stranded in Dubai, nine of them were brought back to India with the help of Ministry of External Affairs.
As per reports, all the labourers had departed for Dubai on November 4 last year through an agent Kartik Jena, who took Rs 60,000 from each of them and had assured a remuneration of Rs 35,000 per month.
But even after 9 months, the labourers were not paid. Dejected, the labourers decided to protest and refused to work. Later, the company suspended all of them, and now they are forced to live on the roadside, informed sources.
Panda has urged the Indian Consul General to intervene and take appropriate action to ensure their timely repatriation to India.
On Thursday, the embassy informed Panda, that the concerned company under which the labourers were working has cancelled their work permit after Mission’s intervention and coordination with concerned authorities in Kuwaiti Labour Ministry. Besides, Emergency Certificates (ECs) have been issued to all of them and they are likely to leave Kuwait after the coming ‘Bakr Id’ holidays.
According to reports, 15 workers from Aul and Pattamundai area of Kendrapara district had gone to Kuwait in August 8, 2018 in search of good paying jobs. They were reportedly working at Megatech, Al Waha Mall, after receiving guarantees of good remuneration and job.
Unfortunately, the company allegedly failed to meet the adequate standards of working condition of the labourers and also denied them leave even during emergency and medical purposes.
The matter came to fore after family members of the stranded labourers sought Panda’s help in the matter. Later, the former parliamentarian appealed the Kuwait-based Indian Embassy for assistance and repatriation of the stranded labourers.
“Apparently the labourers were desperate to return home fearing the current lockdown situation and purchased a boat to reach their destinations via sea route. A probe will certainly be undertaken as to how and under which circumstances they managed to reach Odisha during the lockdown,” said Behera.
“As boat services come under the Transport department, I have instructed the officials in our department to look into the matter,” the transport minister said.
Labourers returning to #Odisha from Chennai via sea route: The boat has been seized & a tight vigil will be kept on people entering the State through sea routes; stern action will be taken against those violating the #Covid_19 lockdown norms, says Transport Min Padmanava Behera pic.twitter.com/mYt0qjaYiT
— OTV (@otvnews) April 26, 2020
Behera further warned that if any person is found coming to the State in such an illegal way by violating national COVID lockdown rules, action will be taken accordingly.
Speaking about security in the coastal areas, Pranabindu Acharya, ADGP of Railways and Coastal security said, “Marine police are keeping a vigil at coastal areas. Those who are returning through sea route are immediately detained and put under quarantine. All the people in coastal areas have been sensitised. Home guards have been deployed in all coastal villages and fish landing points.”
As many as 38 people reached Pati Sonepur coast in Ganjam district on a boat from Tamil Nadu last evening. According to reports, they had brought the boat for about Rs 2 lakh. Upon their arrival, they were detained by marine police and placed under quarantine.
On the other hand, the workers claimed that they had to go through a lot of hardship after they got stuck in Tamil Nadu due to the nation-wide lockdown.
Despite #COVID19 #Lockdown, 38 labourers reach #Odisha from Chennai by sea route; the labourers, who arrived in Sonepur under Chikiti block of Ganjam dist have been detained by marine police; collector informs #OTV that they will be quarantined & swabs will be sent for testing pic.twitter.com/RfHtrJkaNG
— OTV (@otvnews) April 25, 2020
“Due to the lockdown, we did not get work and our savings dried up. Unable to get foods for survival, we somehow arranged the boat and reached home,” they said.
Earlier, 27 fishermen including 10 from Odisha reached Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh from Chennai after a five-day journey in a boat. Nine of them were from Ganjam district and one from Puri. They were placed under quarantine at a centre in Ichchapuram.
These special trains will run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The Railways and State Governments shall appoint senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these “Shramik Specials”.
The passengers have to be screened by the sending states and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to travel. Sending State Governments will have to bring these persons in batches that can be accommodated in the train to the designated Railway Station in sanitized buses following social distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear face cover. Meals and drinking water would be provided to the passengers by the sending states at the originating station.
The Railways will endeavour to ensure social distancing norms and hygiene with the cooperation of passengers. On longer routes, the Railways will provide a meal enroute during the journey.
On arrival at the destination, passengers will be received by the State Government, who would make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine if necessary and further travel from the Railway Station.
At this point of time of crisis faced by the nation, all officers and staff of the Indian Railways are committed to serving our fellow Indians and seeks everyone’s support and cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Railways this morning ran its first special train to ferry 1,200 stranded migrants from Lingampally in Telangana to Hatia in Jharkhand. A special train carrying over 1,000 Odia migrants also left for Odisha from Aluva railway station in Kerala in the evening reportedly at around 4 pm. The migrants were stranded in Kochi region of Kerala after enforcement of the nation-wide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.