Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Petroleum Minister, on Thursday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his intervention in the release of 10 workers from Odisha stranded in Dubai.
The victims had recently released a video on social media seeking help from the Centre.
“Ten people who were working in the company Asia Pacific Building Contracting LLC, Dubai and accommodated at Saila, Sharjah are kept captive. They released a video about a month back asking for help for the immediate repatriation and their mobile numbers are now deactivated,” Pradhan said in a letter.
He said that it has been ascertained that these men belong to Nayagarh and Ganjam districts of Odisha.
“The District Labour Officer of Nayaarh has also visited the house of some of the victims. There is, however, no progress in the matter yet. The request is for immediate repatriation of these victims to India,” Pradhan added.
Pradhan apprised Jaishankar about the situation and sought the Ministry of External Affairs’ support for the immediate repatriation of the victims to India on humanitarian grounds.