RANCHI: The 33 workers of Jharkhand, working at a power transmission line laying project in the African country of Mali have sought help from Chief Minister Hemant Soren once again for ensuring payment of their pending salaries and safe return to India. They alleged that the company failed to fulfill the agreements reached between it and workers, which was mediated by Indian Embassy officials at Mali on Tuesday late evening.
As per an agreement, the company was to pay pending payment for October and November to be credited in the Indian bank account of workers, while the salary of December was to be used in arranging flight tickets from Bomako to New Delhi and then to Ranchi and also for bearing food expenses and other emergency requirements of the workers. But, according to the workers, neither the company paidtheir dues, nor arranged their air tickets to India.
The workers also claimed that their ration will end tonight, following which, they will be left to starve as they have used all their money in buying ration.
“We are left with ration till today only, after which we will have no option but to starve as all the savings which we had with us has been used for purchasing ration. Therefore, I request the Central and the State Governments to intervene and ensure safe return of all 33 workers stuck here in Mali,” saidone of the workers stuck in Mali Dilip Mahto. They haven’t been paid for the last three months and the contractor who hired them for the project has fled from Mali with their passports, he added.
“We have no idea whether the contractor has paid the rent for the accommodation provided to them or not. We appeal the Central and the State Governments to help us in getting back home and also ensure our pending salaries are cleared,” said Dilip Mahto over phone. Since, none of the promises was fulfilled by the company as per the agreement signed with us following intervention of Indian Embassy, the matter needs to be taken seriously, he added.
In all, 33 migrant workers from Giridih and Hazaribag districts are stuck in Mali’s capital district Bamako. The matter came into light after a local rights activist in Giridih, Sikandar Ali, raised the issue on different platforms, including social media.
