Ranchi, Oct 31 (PTI) The Jharkhand Labour department has managed to establish contact with 48 migrant workers of the state stranded in Tunisia in North Africa through the Indian embassy and is verifying their documents, officials said on Friday.
Team leader of Migrant Control Cell (under Jharkhand Labour department), Shikha Lakra told PTI that following the directive of the Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren they have managed to establish contact with the migrant workers and are also in touch with the Indian embassy in Tunisia.
“We spoke to the migrant workers allegedly stranded by a private firm in Tunisia and are verifying their documents. We are also in touch with the Indian Embassy officials in Tunisia for arranging their safe return to their native places,” said Lakra.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, on Friday afternoon, on his official X handle, taking cognisance of the plight of the migrant workers, directed the deputy commissioners of three district – Bokaro, Hazaribagh and Giridih – to ensure safe return of the workers.
Sikander Ali, a social activist who has been working for the cause of migrant workers and was the first to get in touch with the migrant cell sharing the plights of the migrant workers, allegedly stranded in Tunisia, told PTI that 19 workers are from Hazaribagh district, 14 from Giridih district and 15 from Bokaro district are stranded in Tunisia.
“One of the stranded workers, Sanjay Kumar from Pirtand block of Giridih, shared a video message to me on Thursday late night, which I passed on to the migrant cell and also to a few journalists who in turn shared it with the chief minister on Friday,” said Sikander Ali.
He said that the 48 workers were employed in work for laying high transmission wires through a Delhi-based private firm which is working under a leading multinational company for the project in Tunisia.
“In the video message the workers have alleged that the company is not paying them wages for the last three months and is also forcing them to work overtime. This is causing them mental stress. They want to return home but are not being allowed by the company. The workers have appealed to the Centre and state government to help them return to their homes,” said Ali. PTI ANB RG
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