Bhubaneswar: Odisha Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak will visit Uttarakhand where the labourers have been trapped in an under-construction tunnel for two weeks.

A special team from Odisha including the Labour and Employee's State Insurance Minister will review the rescue operation that is underway at the crash site.

The family members of Odia workers will also reach Uttarkashi district where the incident occurred.

Speaking to reporters, the Minister asked not to describe the victims as 'Dadan'.

"Those who migrate outside the state for work are approved by the government. Many labourers from other states are also engaged here in Odisha. It will be mistaken to term them as Dadan. Our department is aware of it. We have generated employment in the state under various schemes," Nayak said.

Five workers from Odisha among 41 workers have been trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel. The labourers from the state were -- Dhiren Nayak of Badakudar and Bisweswar Nayak of Jogibandh in Mayurbhanj district, Raju Nayak from Kuldiha in Balasore, Bhagaban Bhotra of Nabarangpur and Tapan Mandal of Bhadrak district. They are trapped in the Uttarkashi Silkyara tunnel at Uttarakhand after a portion of the tunnel collapsed 14 days back.

According to reports, the labourers from Odisha were employed at the site by Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd which is implementing Silkyara tunnel work for National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

The rescue operation at Uttarkashi is in the final stage. The state government on Friday had sent the families of Odia workers trapped in the tunnel.

On Friday, the drilling was halted again as the rescue team reportedly faced technical glitches. The administration decided to deploy manual cutters for the remaining portion of collapsed tunnel. After several failed attempts, the rescue teams planned to use vertical drilling option to evacuate the trapped workers.