Ranchi, Jan 7: Intervention of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren led to rescue of five workers of Gumla kept hostage in Karnataka for over a month.
Heman Soren who has been proactive in regards to safety of migrant workers during Covid pandemic soon after getting information on Monday about
five laborers of Gumla being trapped in Hospet in Karnataka. At the same time, it was also learned that these laborers were taken to Karnataka on the pretext of work and they are being taken hostage there and forced into bonded labour.
As soon as the information was received, Hemant Soren asked state labour minister Satyanand Bhokta, to ensure the safe return of these laborers to their homes.
On the intervention of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and on the instructions of the minister, the Migrant Control Room started the work of returning these migrant workers by establishing contact with the local administration.
On Friday, all these workers were rescued from Karnataka and brought to Ranchi. On reaching Ranchi, all these workers were sent to their native village with the help of Gumla district administration after conducting a Covid test.
The rescued workers include Prakash Mahto of Koyanjra village in Gumla, Sanju Mahto, a resident of Palkot, Sachin Gope, Rahul Gope and Mangra Khadia of Murkunda.
Prakash Mahato one of the labourer said, “We went to Karnataka hoping for better work through an acquaintance. But there we were made to work for 18-18 hours. Salary was not even available for one and a half months. Food was not even available. In such a situation, We were made to work. We were beaten on refusal to work… We thank the government very much for bringing us all back safely.”
Another worker said, “We had to enter the water there for 10-10 hours and fish out. Then the other fish that were taken out had to be sorted out. Because of this, we had to face frost. At one point it came. It was when we started feeling that we might never be able to return home, but Hemant Sarkar saved us. We thank the government a lot,”
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