Bhubaneswar, Feb 19: The Odisha government has formally written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), requesting its immediate intervention to ensure the urgent and safe rescue and repatriation of emigrant workers from Odisha who are currently stranded in Thailand.

In a letter addressed to the Additional Secretary of the MEA (Southern Division) on Wednesday, Principal Resident Commissioner Vishal Gagan drew attention to a communication received from the Director of Odisha Paribar, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, regarding the issue.

Sharing details of the incident, he noted that six emigrant workers from Odisha, who were reportedly working in a plywood company in Thailand, are facing severe hardships as they have not been paid their salaries for the last three months and are living in distressing conditions.

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The Principal Resident Commissioner also informed the MEA that the workers have approached the state government through social media platforms, requesting urgent assistance for their rescue and safe repatriation from Thailand to their native places in Odisha.

The emigrant workers from Odisha include Jashobanta Sahoo, Prasanta Rout, Bijaya Kumar Swain, Hemanata Behera, and Jayant Kumar Malik, all hailing from Kendrapara district, while Manaranjan Sahu belongs to Bhadrak district.

The Principal Resident Commissioner requested the MEA to take immediate and appropriate action in the matter and initiate steps for the rescue and repatriation of the stranded emigrant workers from Thailand. He also urged the MEA to ensure that the workers receive their pending salaries from the employer in Thailand in accordance with their contractual entitlements.

“In view of the serious nature of the plight of the workers, it is requested that urgent action may kindly be initiated for disbursal of remuneration to the emigrant workers as per their due entitlement and for their urgent rescue and safe repatriation of six emigrant workers of Odisha from Thailand back to their native places in Odisha. Early action in the matter is earnestly solicited,” the Commissioner stated in the letter.

In a video message circulated on social media, the six stranded migrant workers from Odisha claimed that they have not been paid their wages for several months, are facing threats from their employer, and are enduring severe food shortages and difficult living conditions.

They appealed to the Odisha government to intervene and ensure their rescue and safe return to India at the earliest.

(IANS)