35 Odia Workers Held Captive in Laos, CM Naveen Patnaik Initiates Measures for Their Rescue

Bhubaneswar: A plywood company in Laos has allegedly kept a group of 35 Odia labourers in captivity. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed concerned officials to make efforts to bring them back to their homes.

These workers are from the Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district.

The plight of these workers came to the fore when the labourers sent a video clip to the people in their village in which they said that the plywood company where they were working stopped its operations about one-and-a-half-months ago. But they were neither allowed to return nor paid wages.

They urged the government to bring them back, with the allegation that the company had taken away their passports.

Locals contacted the MLA of their area regarding this video clip sent by their compatriots stranded in Laos. The legislator brought this issue to the notice of the state government.

Following the intervention of the CM, the state labour commissioner took up the issue with the Indian embassy in Laos.