Sundargarh: Odisha Labour Department rescued seven Odia labourers
who were being held captive by a brick kiln owner in Vizianagaram of Andhra
Pradesh. The seven migrant labourers including three women were brought back to
Odisha on Friday. The rescued labourers belong to Sundargarh and Baragarh
districts.
Some Odia labourers had gone to Vizianagaramto work at Shri Sai Manikanta brick
kiln there. Later they alleged that the owner of the brick kiln tortured them and
did not give them their salary. The brick kiln owner also allegedly attacked an
Odia labourer with acid and chopped off the fingers of another.
The incident came to light when five of them managed to escape on December 17
and lodged a complaint with the police. The acid attack survivor is believed to be
in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College
and Hospital in Burla. In their complaint, they alleged that their employer started
abusing them when they asked for their salary. As many as 12 workers of
Hemagiri were working in the brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh.
This is not the first incident.
- On December 15, three bonded labourers of Nuapada
district are reported to have been held captive by the contractor of a brick
kiln in Andhra Pradesh. Their family members met the Labour Department
officials and asked for help in rescuing them. - On November 9, an Odia migrant labourer of Kendrapada district went
missing in Malaysia. The missing labourer has been identified as Khetrabashi
Sahoo of Baburampatana village under Kendrapara Sadar police limits.
He had gone to Malaysia in September in search of work through an
agency in Kolkata. On September 29, an unidentified person called his parents and told them that he
had been arrested and his life was at risk now. - In the first week of June, as many as 19 bonded labourers were rescued by a
joint team of the Labour Department and police in Nabarangpur district.
Acting on specific information, officials of the Labour Department with
the help of local police, intercepted a private bus at Nabarangpur town and
rescued six minor girls, four minor boys, six women and three children from
the vehicle. The victims hailing from Raighar area of the district were being
trafficked by a middleman.
4. In November last year, family members of 34 Odia labourers had
appealed to Rayagada administration to rescue them from Kerala. Apparently
they were held captive because they were bursting crackers to celebrate
Diwali.
