Three children along with 8 migrant workers rescued in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15:

Police on Thursday rescued as many as 11 people along with eight migrant workers from near Khaira Square under Boden police station limits in Odisha’s Nuapada district.

According to reports, police intercepted an SUV near Khaira Square and rescued the occupants who were allegedly being trafficked. They included five male members, three women and as many children.

“We frisked a vehicle during morning patrolling from where discovered these people being transported. They were taken to the police station and the District Labour Officer was informed regarding this,” Boden police station IIC Srikant Barik said.

The District Labour Officer Muktalal Nayak said: “It was found upon verification that none of the migrant labourers were registered.”

Police made arrangements for sending the rescued persons back home.

The rescued labourers from Gobindpur village under Sinapali block were identified as Moolchan Hans (40), Rupey Hans (35), Mangaraj Hans (30), Kiyaphoola Hans (25), Jogeswar Gahira (21), Premlal Hans (35), Malati Hans (30) and Raju Hans (18). Two children of eight years and a three-year-old baby were among those rescued early this morning.

Till filing of the report, police had detained dadan sardar (labour agent) Gajendra Nag and the vehicle.

Earlier media reports had said that demonetization move by the Union government had badly affected the rural population especially the labourers.

Experts had feared that cash crunch might lead to distress migration.

Notably, Nuapada district in the state is infamous for labour migration.