--After they flee from TN kiln
: Thirteen migrant workers of Jambahali village of Nuapada district fled from a brick kiln of Tamil NÄdu on March 24 complaining of lack of treatment for their ill health in the kiln. However, presently, they are in constant fear and are afraid of going out of their village as a local contractor is threatening them of dire consequences if they do not return the advance paid to them.
Advance money is paid to the labourers well before they set out for the destination area as a sort of a contract to work there. Especially, the Sardar or labour contractor make the labourers agree to migrate from their villages by paying some money in advance when the latter are in need of money.
"The second Sardar - Chhabi Majhi of Sunapur village- is coming to our village everyday with some rowdy people and threatening us in abusive language demanding return of Rs 2.25 lakh,” said Jamuna Kand. "We joined the kiln on December 12 and worked there for three months twelve days working overtime @ 10 hours every day. The wretched living conditions and forced overtime labour work resulted in deterioration of our health conditions. How could we have continued there when the employer didn't provide us with a health facility?" the workers said.
According to the workers, the Sardar had asked them to work in a brick kiln in Tukuguda but took them to a kiln named Anand Brick near Minjur, a town located on the outskirts of north Chennai. "The kiln was new to us; the employer didn't understand our language; so, we could not communicate our problem. We were being given Rs 200 a week each for fooding out of which Rs 60 was spent towards bus fare to visit the Minjur market for purchase of ration. How could we have sustained that meagre amount, when our health conditions deteriorated?" they rued.
The workers said that they have lodged a complaint against the local Sardar who is threatening them.