Four migrant workers from Ganjam district, Odisha, returned home safely on Friday, February 21, after being stranded in Oman without receiving their salaries.
The workers, who had been working as plumbers in Oman, arrived in Mumbai on an Air India Express flight from Muscat at 4 AM on Thursday, February 20. They then reached Berhampur by train from Bhubaneswar on Friday.
Taking to X, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his gratitude to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy in Oman for their prompt assistance in securing the workers’ safe return.
He also shared a photo of the workers with officials at the airport.
As per multiple media reports, the workers, employed through an agency in November 2024, had not received their wages for the past four months.
Worried about their well-being, the workers’ parents approached the District Labour Office (DLO) in Chhatrapur on Tuesday, February 18, urgently seeking help for their safe return.
The workers’ plight was brought to light after they communicated their difficult situation to their parents via video calls.
The rescue operation was set in motion once the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) received an email about the stranded workers. CM Majhi immediately instructed the Chief Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to collaborate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Ambassador in Oman.
The workers, located in Sohar, Oman, were in regular contact with the Indian embassy, which facilitated their safe return.
This is not the first time Odisha migrant workers have been rescued from the Gulf. In previous instances, several workers from the state faced similar hardships, including poor working conditions and non-payment of salaries. Thanks to coordinated efforts between the Odisha government, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian embassies in Gulf countries, many such workers have been safely brought back to Odisha.
