Men from Vellore denied salary, left to starve in Senegal for over 2 weeks
Vellore:
With a hope to earn good money for the betterment of their families, a total of 23 men from Mallagunta and neighbouring panchayats in Vellore district had gone to Senegal in West Africa three months ago. But their hopes were doomed after they were denied the salary as promised and confined at the worksite by the employer since they landed in there.
Adding to their cup of woes, they have been reportedly starving for over two weeks as the management of the private firm did not supply them sufficient food.
The men had gone to Senegal on August 6, 2017 to erect huge towers for electric lines. They were employed by Compagnie D’ Electricite DU SENEGAL and promised a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, said Periya Kulandai Kumar, one of the victims, in his petition to the Indian Embassy.
He pleaded the Indian Embassy to rescue them and send them back to the country and they have also charged that they have been denied salary, abducted and not provided sufficient food and denied basic amenities. “Our Passports were forcibly taken by the company and not letting us return to our country,” he further said in the petition that he submitted on November 23.
The workers have also taken the issues in social media, pleading Minister for External Affair Sushma Swaraj and the Central Government to bail them out of the difficult situation. They posted video messages and also twitted highlighting their plights.
The repeated efforts of the family members and relatives of the workers in their native place, the officials in the Embassy in Senegal responded. The authorities in the Embassy summoned the management of the company to bring the Indian workers to the office. Since they landed in Senegal, they stepped out of the premises of the firm two days ago when they were allowed to go the Embassy.
“The management of the company assured the Embassy that they would pay the salary as promised and make arrangements to send them back to their country. They also said that the workers will send in two batches of 11 and 12 within a couple of days. But nothing happened so far and the situation remains the same,” said Sivasankar, a relative of one of the workers.
The workers spent the little money with them. “I spoke to them on Wednesday and they were very worried. They did not have money to buy groceries or to recharge their mobile phones to keep in touch with their family members,” he added.
The company had deposits around Rs 21,000 each worker’s bank account as against Rs 90,000 for three months work. “We want the government to take firm steps to bring them back home soon,” he further said.
Chairman of TN Minority Department of Congress J Aslam Basha also demanded the government to take necessary steps to ensure the safe return of the 23 men at the earliest. /eom/shan/
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