The district administration of Nuapada rescued 76 more migrant labourers, including eight children, from two different places Sinapali and Khariar in the district on Saturday. later the labourers were sent back to their respective villages by the police.
Out of the total rescued labourers, 45 are resident of Bharuamunda under Sinapali block and the other 31 belong to Patdarha, Baglore, Salebhata, Govindpur, Pelnapada, Rebidi and Kerapadar villages of Boden block in the district. “The police did not seize the jeep which was carrying four more labourers and the contractor,” said the rescued labourers.
The total number of migrant labourers rescued in past three days in the district has reached 1,010 adults and 180 children, the police said, adding, “We cannot assure that the rescued labourers will stay back in their villages.”
The District labour Officer (DlO), who arrived at Khariar on Sunday to take stock of the situation, said that there are 28 registered contractors in the district this year. “The contractors have the licence for taking 2,500 labourers in total, but unofficial sources revealed that the number of labourers taken illegally outside the State under distress condition is more than 60,000,” said the DlO.
According to local NGO lokadrusti, which made provision for the safe return of the labourers to their respective villages, the panchayat and the block offices should arrange jobs for the labourers to save them from distress migration. Meanwhile, the BDOs of Boden and Sinapali assured the migrants that they would be provided jobs in their villages within three days.