Belpada: The heartwrenching picture of migrant workers’ woes was on display at Banamal village under Belpada block of Bolangir district as a woman returned to the village with her husband’s body after his death in Telangana. As per reports, the woman had to leave her minor daughter as a bonded labour near their employer.
Sources said, Shukadev Parabhue of Banmal village along with his wife Usha and children, a son and a daughter, had migrated to work at a brick kiln at Telangana after taking Rs 60,000 in advance through local labour agents Ghana Sa and Bidyadhar Sahu. After reaching there, Shukadev started working at the brick kiln but owing to the unhygienic environment and excruciating labour, his health started deteriorating. Even though he approached the labour agent and the owner of the kiln for treatment at a hospital, his requests fell on deaf ears and he had to work despite unbearable harassment. Due to a lack of proper treatment, Shukadev succumbed to his illness March 8, his wife alleged. After knowing that the kiln owner was planning to bury his body after post-mortem at the nearby hospital, Usha pleaded before him to take the body back to the village.
Finally, the kiln owner arranged an ambulance. Usha returned to the village along with younger child Pabitra (6) and her husband’s body. However, the kiln’s owner has forcibly kept her daughter Kaikeyi (12) as a bonded labour as Shukadev was yet to pay his amount back, Usha alleged. Informed, social activist Dr Johnson Nag and Dingar Kumbhar contacted labour officer Niranjan Bhuyan who visited the village and assured assistance to the deceased’s family as per the government’s labour laws. He also promised to rescue the minor girl from the lime kiln owner adding that stringent action will be taken against the illegal labour agents. Local sarpanch Pradeep Behera met the deceased’s kin and offered assistance of Rs 3,000 under Harischandra Sahayata Yojana.