With the initiative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, 33 tribal workers and their nine children, residents of Chanho Block of Ranchi district, have been freed from a brick kiln in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh with the joint effort of State Migrant Control Room of Labour Department and Phia Foundation. On the morning of 23 June, all the migrant workers have left for Ranchi by Maurya Express train.
All these laborers are residents of Tanger village of Chanho.
The workers had gone to Uttar Pradesh with their families in search of work in the month of January. There he met a contractor who employed them in a brick kiln located at village Mundera in Deoria district. The workers got work in the brick kiln but even after working for six months they were not given money. About seven lakh rupees were owed by brick kiln operator as wages of the workers.
The workers were kept hostage and were being forced to work in inhuman conditions like bonded labourers. The accommodation provided to the workers was in a dilapidated condition. There was a lack of cleanliness. Due to the poor condition, the children of the workers also started getting sick.
When the Chief Minister came to know about the matter, he ordered the State Migrant Control Center of the Labour Department to free the workers. After this the Labour Department contacted Deoria District Collector and Superintendent of Police. An inquiry committee was constituted under the supervision of the police administration of Deoria. The committee investigated various aspects related to this matter and got the workers free. Also, out of the outstanding remuneration of seven lakh rupees, about five lakh rupees were given to the workers by the brick kiln operator.
Meanwhile, in another development the members of Nimit Sanstha met Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday and handed over 15,000 oximeters and 15,000 thermometers to the CM. Its distribution will be done by the State's Sahiya among the needy in rural areas. On this occasion, Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey, Secretary of the organisation Nikita Sinha, Jawaharmani Mishra, Satendra Kumar and others were present.