Tortured In Bengaluru, 3 Migrant Workers Of Odisha’s Kalahandi Walk Back Home

Koraput: Three migrant workers, who were allegedly forced to work without wages, tortured and underfed at a company in Bengaluru, trudged back to Odisha with no money to pay for bus or train fare. They reached Pottangi in Koraput district on Sunday after a weeklong footslog.

According to sources, Katara Majhi, Budu Majhi and Bhikari Majhi of Tingapatana under Jaypatana block in Kalahandi district left for Bengaluru two months ago in search of work. They were among 12 labourers taken to IT capital of India by Ramakrushna Pradhan, a labour contractor of Balugaon area in Khurda district with promise of jobs.

“We were engaged in a company in Bengaluru. They refused to pay us wages and instead started torturing us and also stopped giving us proper food. As the torture became unbearable, we fled the company premises on March 26 midnight and started walking our way back home,” said one of the labourers while narrating their ordeal to a shopkeeper at Padalguda Chhak.

Later, president of Odisha Motor Drivers’ Association (Pottangi block) Bhagban Ghadei offered food to the three migrant workers. Some local journalists gave them Rs 1,500 and made arrangements to travel up to Nabarangpur district.