Tashkent/Bhubaneswar: More than 500 Indian workers, including 70 to 80 from Odisha, are reportedly stranded in Uzbekistan’s Angiyul region, protesting months of unpaid salaries and dire living conditions.
According to sources, the affected workers, comprising fitters, plumbers, welders, and construction labourers employed in a company engaged in oil and gas projects, have not received wages for around four months. Many hail from areas such as Sanakhemundi and Digapahandi in Ganjam, and Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur districts.
The workers from India, who had traveled to Uzbekistan in search of better employment opportunities, have been staging demonstrations over 15 days, demanding immediate release of pending salaries, compensation for delays, as stipulated under Uzbekistan’s labour laws and assurance of safe return to India if the situation does not improve. They allege that the company has failed to clear dues despite repeated assurances, leaving them in financial distress.
Desperate video appeals documenting severe har
dship have surfaced on social media. “The company has not paid our wages since October of last year. When we raised the issue and demanded payment, they fired us and told us to return to India. We have been holding a dharna for the past 15 days in freezing temperatures of -3 to -4 degrees Celsius to demand clearance of our pending salaries,” said a protester from Ganjam’s Sanakhemundi block.
Families back in Odisha have also appealed to both state and central governments for urgent intervention, including safe return and enforcement of contractual obligations.
While official confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs is awaited, sources indicate that the Indian Embassy in Tashkent has been apprised of the situation.
Meanwhile, Berhampur district labour officer (DLO) Subhalaxmi Behera stated that her office learned about the workers’ situation through social media. “One of the stranded labourers from Ganjam informed us that the company had terminated them without settling their dues. We requested their Aadhaar details and contact numbers, and we will formally approach the government to ensure necessary action is taken for their safe repatriation,” she told TOI.
She further added that no family members of the affected workers had directly contacted their office.