A joint team of the Balangir district labour Department officials and the Tamil Nadu police rescued 126 migrant labourers, including children and women, and brought them back to Balangir on Monday.
The labourers, who belong to Bangomunda and Titilagarh blocks, were rescued after their family members alleged that they were being tortured by their employers in Tamil Nadu.
Three months back, these labourers had migrated to Tamil Nadu on an assurance given by Babul Khan of Kantabanjhi, a middleman, of decent earnings there.
Notably, the labourers were taken without registration, which is mandatory as per the Odisha Government rules.
Balangir District labour Officer Madan Mohan Paika said a case would be lodged against the middleman under the Inter-State Migrant Workman Act under Section 8.”