Two helpers of a rice godown of R Udayagiri block in Gajapati district left their village for working as bonded labourers outside the State, after they failed to get income to meet their minimum need.
According to sources, for the last two months, the Civil Supplies Department’s PDS rice supply to the local godown had been stopped. As a result, around 12 helper families, who were working in the rice godown were rendered jobless.
The labourers alleged that due to negligence of the State Government, they had been rendered jobless. “After the godown did not function, we did not get any work. We used to get `30 to `40 per day. But, even that meager income is not available anymore,” they rued, adding that a few employees of the department are illegally storing rice in another godown in Mahendragarh, while ignoring theirs.