Migrant workers stranded in Tunisia got due payments, will return to Jharkhand: Official

Migrant workers stranded in Tunisia got due payments, will return to Jharkhand: Official Ranchi (Jharkhand), Nov 3 (PTI) All the 48 migrant workers from Jharkhand stranded in Tunisia in Africa have their outstanding payments cleared and will be returning to India in three batches, an official said on Monday.

They will come back to their homeland in three batches, she said.

Team leader at the Migrant Control Cell, functioning under Jharkhand labour department, Shikha Lakra told PTI that all the 48 migrants were paid their three months outstanding salaries by the private firm which had engaged them.

The company has also arranged flight tickets for their return to India in three batches.

"The private firm has paid Rs 30 lakh so far. The company has also arranged flight tickets in three batches. The first lot of migrants will depart from Tunisia for Mumbai on November 4 and land in India on November 5 while the second lot will leave on November 5 and reach India the next day. The last batch will depart on November 6 and land in India on November 7," said Lakra.

The migrants will return to their home districts by train from Mumbai at their own expense, the official added.

Officials said that Chief Minister Hemant Soren got the information about migrant workers being stranded in Tunisia on Friday and directed the state migrant control room to ensure their safe return. The cell in turn got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tunisia, the private company and the Tunisian authorities for clearance of salaries and safe return of migrant workers.

These workers are residents of Hazaribagh, Giridih and Bokaro districts. They were sent to work for laying high transmission wires through a private company. These workers were facing financial difficulties due to non-payment of salaries for the past three months. PTI ANB NN