Bengaluru/Bhubaneswar: More than 150 labourers trafficked from Odisha’s Balangir and Nuapada districts were rescued from two brick kilns in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Four persons have been detained in this connection.
They were rescued by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) following simultaneous raids on Bylakere, Yelahanka and Bangalore Urban North Sub-Division of the city.
Around 100 labourers were rescued from the first facility and 55 from the second. The brick kilns were reportedly being run by two brother, media reports said.
The labourers were only served rice gruel twice a day, the reports further said, adding that those rescued are likely to reach Odisha on Thursday.
More than 200 labourers were rescued from the same area during a similar raid in 2015.
On January 15, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated e-Shramik Samadhan portal and 24×7 Shramik Sahayata Helpline for labourers across the state and announced special packages for migrant labourers in 20 blocks of four districts.
The state government had also initiated innovative steps through a State Action Plan to prevent distress migration in 11 migration-prone districts.
