Workers in Gulf seek help; Sushma Swaraj asks Indian Embassy to take action

Bhubaneswar: After a report published in a section of the media on 10 Odia labourers reportedly trapped in Saudi Arabia and subjected to exploitation, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to take action to rescue the workers.

The external affairs minister from her official Twitter handle tagged the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, following which the embassy authorities confirmed on Twitter, “Embassy cognizant of it and actively working towards their repatriation.”

In a series of replies to concerns raised on the micro-blogging site following the publication of the report, the embassy assured, “We are also vigorously pursuing it. Working on it and are confident to resolve the issue.”

The media highlighted how kin of as many as 10 labourers who are allegedly trapped in Saudi Arabia are being subjected to exploitation and even facing a threat to life and have sought the intervention of the state government and the Ganjam district administration to rescue them.

As per reports, 24 labourers from various blocks of Ganjam district went to Saudi Arabia five months back through an agent from Andhra Pradesh. They were reportedly engaged in Al Riyadh Construction Company.

However, it is alleged that after getting two months’ pay, their passports were seized and they are being exploited and also have threat to life. Family members of the 10 labourers from Tambuda village under Mathasarsingh and S Sachina panchayats of Beguniapara block sought government intervention.