Purusottampur: Sixteen migrant Odia workers working in Andhra Pradesh were detained by the police in Ganjam district as they were trying to return home on foot to different districts of the state. When the lockdown was extended for the third time till May 17, they decided to return to their native villages from their respective work places in Andhra Pradesh. The lockdown has been imposed in the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Sources said that 10 of the migrant workers belong to Buankutu village in Angul district while six were from Bhapur village in Boudh district. They had been working at roadside dhabas in Palasa of Andhra Pradesh. Palasa incidentally is very close to the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.
However, while returning home, the 16 workers lost their way. They were detained Monday morning by local people at Purusottampur in Ganjam district.
Coming to know about the development, Purusottampur police station IIC Jagannath Mallick and sub-inspector Sunil Kumar Pradhan immediately reached the spot. After the locals handed over the returnees to the police, they were provided with dry food packets and drinking water. The workers informed the police that they had been starving for the last few days. Mallick however, is in a fix as to how he will send back the 16 migrant workers to their respective villages.