Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked the state Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to take up the issue of migrant labourers from Bengal
working in Odisha allegedly being subjected to torture with their counterparts in the neighbouring state.
The issue was raised by Minister of State for Panchayats and Rural Development Seuli Saha who is an MLA from Keshpur in West Midnapore during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On August 12, Banerjee had called up her Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi and sought his intervention on the matter after information of assault and torture of migrant labourers from Bengal by locals under the suspicion that they are Bangladeshis had reached the state administration.
Banerjee has sought the cooperation from Majhi to bring back these workers in the state. She also assured them of employment here. Following Banerjee’s conversation, several migrant labourers have returned to the state but still the ordeal of the labourers continues. Workers who had gone to the neigbouring state from Malda, West Midnapore, Birbhum are among those who have been subjected to such torture. Such incidents of torture have come to light from various parts of Odisha like Alugadi, Panpada, Sikharchandi etc. A video that went viral on social media (which has not been verified by Millennium Post) showed some people demanding Aadhar cards from a person selling articles made of
plastic on a bicycle. He was beaten up after he failed to furnish the same.
“It is the constitutional right of these workers to work in any part of the country as per their wish. In fact, more workers from Odisha work in Bengal than vice-versa. It is unfortunate that somebody who talks in Bengali is being branded a Bangladeshi,” said Samirul Islam, Chairman of West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board who is a member of Rajya Sabha from Bengal.
A helpline number 1800103009 has been rolled out where migrant workers from any part of the state can call and seek assistance.
