Over 40 Odisha Workers Stranded and Harassed in Maldives, Plea for Help Goes Viral

 Bhubaneswar: Over 40 youths from Odisha, who travelled to the Maldives six months ago seeking better employment opportunities with a private company, are now reportedly stranded in dire conditions, with no pay and poor working circumstances.

In a video appeal, the stranded workers have requested urgent intervention from the government to rescue them.

The workers allege that their employer, Renaatus, has not paid their salaries for several months, despite them working consistently. The company is accused of forcing the workers to survive in inhumane conditions.

According to the allegations, the migration of these workers—around 45 men from Odisha and other states including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh—was arranged by an agent named Kishore Barik, a resident of Pratap village under Banapur Tehsil in Khurda district.

The workers further claim they have been confined and intimidated for voicing concerns about their working and living conditions. They report being charged for food and accommodation, while also facing frequent electricity cuts as a form of coercion.

"Despite working for four to five months, we have received proper payment for only one month. The living conditions are deplorable, and the company often threatens or jails us when we protest," one of the workers stated in the video while recounting their ordeal.

The workers concluded their video with a heartfelt plea to the government to ensure their safety and facilitate their return to their native places.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Odisha government regarding the matter were unsuccessful.