17 Odisha Labourers Toiling In AP Prawn Farms Seek Govt Intervention

Rayagada: At least 17 workers from Rayagada and Koraput districts employed in prawn processing units of Bhimavaram in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh have alleged torture and harassment in the hands of labour contractors and sought Odisha Government’s intervention for their release.

Days after the electrocution death of eight Odia bonded labourers in a prawn farm in Andhra Pradesh, 17 more labourers from Padmapur block and Gunupur subdivision of Koraput distrct and seven others of Gajapati district have gone to work as bonded labourers in Bhimavaram.

Despite the tall-talk of Odisha government’s labour assurances to workers, several poor people leave for the neighbouring state in search of work. A contractor named Krishna is reported to have escorted 17 labourers from Gunupur and Padmapur blocks to Bhimavaram. They are: Bapina Ganta, Swati Dalei, Priyanka Dalei, Trinath Dalei, Shyam Majhi, Bejia Majhi, Naha Majhi, Rajiv Majhi, Rajesh Majhi, and Kunu Majhi.

The harassed workers including minor boys and girls have contacted Odisha Bytes reporter Pramod Kumar Sahu seeking government’s intervention to free them from the clutches of ruffian labour contractors who forced them to work for 14 hours a day without remuneration.

Our reporter contacted Gunupur Adarsh police station incharge Jashwant Hial along with visual footage depicting harassment meted out to Odia workers in Bhimavaram. Hial also contacted Vijayawada police in Krishna district (Andhra Pradesh) who have promised to ensure payment of wages of the 17 bonded labourers from Odisha.