22 workers stuck in Malaysia return to J'Khand, process on to bring home 8 others

The Malaysian Police intervened at the request of the High Commission of India in that country, after email with details of the workers was sent by the labour department of Jharkhand.An official of the state migrant control room said that a payment of Rs 19.87 lakh has been made to these 22 workers.

The Jharkhand government on Thursday said it has ensured the safe return of 22 of the 30 workers who were stranded in Malaysia for months, while the process of bringing home another eight is underway.

Workers from the state, who were living and working in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur as labourers since 2019, had taken to social media to urge the Jharkhand government to facilitate their return.

''Twenty-two workers from Giridih, Hazaribag and Bokaro districts who were stranded in Malaysia have safely returned to Jharkhand. The State Migrant Control Room and the High Commission of India, Malaysia are in constant touch with the management of the company (that hired them) for the safe return of the remaining eight workers,'' a state government release here said.

Ten of the 22 workers were brought back to Jharkhand in April-end, and the rest in May, the release said.

The workers were engaged as linemen with an engineering and construction firm since January 30, 2019, and their contract expired on September 30, 2021.

The employer, however, made them work till January 22 without paying them salaries. The Malaysian Police intervened at the request of the High Commission of India in that country, after email with details of the workers was sent by the labour department of Jharkhand.

An official of the state migrant control room said that a payment of Rs 19.87 lakh has been made to these 22 workers.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)