Employing agency of 8 workers reportedly did not provide’ proper assistance or food during lockdown. They started walking down the road to reach their village in Assam.
Enewstime Desk
Agartala, April 28, 2020: Even as Government has repeatedly directed all the employers and contractors to provide financial assistance and/or supply adequate food item in view of national lockdown, one Construction Company reportedly stopped providing assistance to its migrated labourers – as a result, eight labourers embarked on arduous journey on foot from an obscure village in North Tripura for their native villages in Assam.
Under cover of darkness at night, 8 workers walked down the road around 40km and reached Kanchanpur Bazaar area today afternoon. But, they grabbed attention of local people and soon Police rushed the spot. Administration conducted medical tests and arranged food for them. Although two primary needs – medical test and more importantly food – were met, their prime objective to return to their native village remained elusive as Police had detained them.
According to available reports, apathetic attitude of a private construction company – Gayatri Co – forced the eight labourers to walk down the road to their native villages in Assam. They started off from Simlung village near Tripura-Mizoram border last night and covered 40km on foot to reach Kanchanpur in North district.
“Local people found eight persons with bags were resting on the eastern flank of Kanchanpur bazaar – they immediately contacted Police and Police detained them. Local administration conducted medical tests on the labourers and arranged food for them through local NGO.
Sources said, these labourers were engaged in bridge construction works over Longai river at Simlung village along Tripura-Mizoram 44A road. They were deployed by a company, namely Gayatri Co.
According to the migrant labourers, they planned to walk back their village at Maringaun in Assam via Dharmanagar.
One of the eight labourers – Bipul Hussain (25) alleged, “The Company which engaged us provided only rice for a week after lockdown was enforced. Later, the company stopped, even, providing rice. Moreover, Gayatri company authority did not provide them anything else – no vegetables and no money to buy food items. At last, we were forced to walk back to our village”.
After Police detained these labourers, medical tests were conducted on them and Kanchanpur administration arranged food for them through local NGO. Till the report filing, they were detained in the PS.
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