High-level team from Bihar to rescue labourers from Andaman

Port Blair, June 13 (UNI) A high level team will be arriving here soon to rescue labourers from Bihar, who are allegedly being held hostage in Andaman after being lured for jobs by a contractor and transported to the islands, official said today.

''We have found only 78 labourers from Begusarai district of Bihar stranded in Andaman and a team of Bihar government officials will soon be reaching Port Blair to take them back to Bihar,'' Inspector General of Police Dharmendra Kumar told mediapersons here. He said the 78 labourers, who had been traced, were lured for employment in Goa but were clandestinely shipped to the Andamans. According to reports, these labourers were allegedly being harassed in Andaman without proper jobs.

''Legal action will definitely be taken by the Bihar Police against contractor Amerjeet Shahu, who had brought these labourers to Port Blair as complaints have already been lodged in Bihar by the relatives of these labourers,'' Mr Kumar said.

According to reports, Shahu, a contractor from the same district, had handed over all these labourers to another contractor in Port Blair, the capital town of Andaman. The local contractor had pressed most of these labours in the Tsunami permanent shelter construction work in Brichgunj village and 33 of them were sent to Hut Bay islands of South Andaman for similar works.

Most of these labourers were reportedly upset and confused after reaching Andaman instead of Goa, as they were promised.

''We have brought back all the 33 labourers from Hut Bay Island to Port Blair and blocked ship tickets for Kolkata's June 17 sailing, Mr Kumar said.

However, one labourer out of these 78 is unwilling to return to Bihar, the IGP added.

UNI