Chhatrapur: District collector Prem Chandra Chaudhary Sunday sought a report from the district labour officer over detention of five Oriya labourers who were working for a company at Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The matter came to the fore after a video of the youths was uploaded in social media. Their families were pushed into distress after they telephoned their families and and narrated their ordeal. Later, family members assisted by the Berhampur unit of Bajrang Dal met sub-collector Lakshmikanta Sethy here Wednesday and requested him to rescue the five persons. Sethy assured them of all help and rang up the placement agency that had sent these labourers to Gulf asking its owner to appear at his office and reply over the issue.
The victims reportedly have been kept under detention in inhuman condition. Not only this, the company has reportedly seized their passports – Babula Patra, Amar Pradhan, Khiramohan Behera, Ashok Biswal and Santosh Swain.
All roads have been closed for the five labourers’ return to their country as their employer has snatched away their passports while the placement agency does not want to intervene after receiving its payment. The labourers have not received their salaries for six months and do not get proper food. Besides, they are subjected to torture by the company authorities.
According to reports, six youths from Kabisuryanagar and Purushottampur in Ganjam district and one from Khurda had registered themselves with a placement agency at Bhavnagar here and got employed in UAE. They deposited `45,000 each with the placement agency to prepare their passports and purchase air tickets.
They were taken to the Arab country and provided jobs at Wattfresh Décor & Technical Services. After working for a year, two of them returned to their villages while the remaining five stayed back.
Their ordeal began after the company authorities started torturing them for no reason. Meanwhile, the company’s owner, a native of Kerala, came back home, leaving behind the labourers at the mercy of his henchmen.
These labourers are not given work for last six months and have been put under detention where they are being tortured for no fault of theirs.
Babula’s father M Narayan Patra said, “The company authorities have snatched away the passport of my son and are not letting him to come back to the village. They do not have money and do not get food. They are tortured at the slightest pretext.”
The labourers even lodged complaints against the company’s owner, but in vain.
Meanwhile, other Oriya labourers working in UAE extended a helping hand after learning the news of the five labourers. They reached them and provided them with food and other requirements. They also helped them call their parents and have assured to help them return back Orissa after talking to the company authorities.
The district collector warned of stringent action against the agency after the report is prepared. The collector said persons visiting foreign countries for work should register themselves with the labour department and submit all necessary information regarding the company where they would be working.
The report will be sent to the state government, collector Chaudhary said. PNN
