24 workers from Srikakulam stranded in Riyadh

Srikakulam: In all 24 workers from Ichchapuram, Sompeta, Kanchili mandals in Srikakulam district and adjacent Odisha state are stranded in Riyadh, capital city of Saudi Arabia for the last ten days. The issue came to light, when the workers informed about their plight to family members and relatives here, who in turn started efforts to seeking help of ruling party leaders and government officials.

Highlights:

• Promised mechanical trade jobs, they are engaged in civil works
• They are not being paid salaries for past four months

These workers trained in various mechanical trades like, welding, wiring, fitting etc, approached an agent in Chennai to go to Saudi Arabia to make a living.According to family members of migrated workers, K Krishnaveni and Dumpa Rajeswari, the workers were given visas in December 2016 t and were hired by Chennai-based NeolTech. As per agreement they have to work with AMCO a Korea-based company but after reaching Riyadh they were engaged with another company.

The migrated workers, Dupana Prakash Reddy, Dumpa Biragi, Kallepalli Karthik, K RamaRao, Kola Harikrishna, Pandiri Vijaykumar, S Vasudev, Lachchanna Behara, S Umamaheswara Rao and others speaking to The Hans India over phone said that they have not been paid salaries for past four months.“We are not provided free food and other facilities as agreed by the company. We are engaged for mechanical works but are being forced to do civil works. When questioned about salaries, nature of work and pathetic facilities, we are being threatened with dire consequences,” they said.

Family members of the stranded workers met Ichchapuram MLA Bendalam Ashok at Sompeta on Monday and brought the issue to his notice. He in turn called Srikakulam MP K Rammohan Naidu, who assured to take the issue with foreign embassy. “We are making efforts to solve problems of stranded workers by consulting authorities concerned,” Rammohan Naidu told The Hans India.