A group of seven labourers trapped in Mali, Africa, returned to Jharkhand on Saturday afternoon after Chief Minister Hemant Soren intervened when the matter was brought to his notice that 33 labourers from Jharkhand are stranded in the South African country. These seven labourers include Santosh Mahto, Dilip Kumar, Chhedilal Mahato, Lalmani Mahto, Indradev Thakur, Loknath Mahato and Indradeo Prasad. They are from Hazaribagh and Giridih.
According to a press release of the CM secretariat, the second batch of labourers is expected to return on Sunday. The company also agreed to release their pending three months wages.
The contractor had confiscated their passports and came to India whereas these labourers were left with no money to eat.
In hope of better payment, they came to Mali to work as a fitter at Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited last year. But the company fooled them.
According to the contract the company was supposed to pay their pending wage for October and November to their Indian bank account whereas the salary of December was to be used in procuring flight tickets from Mali to New Delhi. Besides, the company promised to meet their other expenses. But, the company neither paid their dues, nor arranged their air tickets.
After they ran short of money and food, they made a desperate plea to the chief minister to help them. Sikandar Ali, a human rights activist from Giridih district also raised their plight before the government.
Soren at once directed the State Migrant Control Room to ensure that workers return and their wage is paid by the company.
State Migrant Control Room prodded the head of the company and said that the state government will not tolerate any ill-treatment with them. The government contacted the Indian embassy in Mali. The Indian embassy held a meeting of representatives of the company, contractor, and workers. It was resolved that the company would pay their salary.