Berhampur: In a heartrending incident, over 40 labourers from Khallikote area in Ganjam district, who had gone to eke out a living in Dubai after being lured by middlemen and brokers have been reportedly going through inhumane torture and exploitation by their employers there, reports said.
The matter came to the fore after the stranded workers expressed their plight through a video and shared it on social media. The video has since then gone viral and has got huge number of views.
It also grabbed the attention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushwa Swaraj for the rescue of the workers.
In the video, the labourers share that they were tricked by a fake agent three months back on the pretext of providing them with lucrative jobs in the gulf country.
“We are not getting work regularly and in addition to that we have not received our wages since day one. Food is also a huge problem here and we are not fed properly. When we complain about these matters to the agent, he thrashes us mercilessly,” they said.
“Kindly rescue us and help us to get back to our home,” they pleaded in the video. According to sources, the workers have locked themselves in a room because of fear of being attacked by their employers and their men.
While no exact information has come yet, as per latest reports, the Odisha Samaj United Arab Emirates (OSUAE) has lend a helping hand via the Indian Consulate to rescue the trapped labourers.
On the other hand, the CM asked Sushma Swaraj for help.
“Concerned about reports of the plight of workers’ group from #Odisha in #Dubai; request kind intervention of @SushmaSwaraj ji & @cgidubai at earliest to ensure justice. Support required from us for safe passage back to home, will be immediately extended,” he tweeted.
PNN