For Charuman Maho, trying for the last few weeks. The company they are working with in the United Arab Emirates have not paid her in weeks, they do not have enough money to eat and rent and now, he faces a danger in addition to being homeless as their landlord has threatened to throw them out.
Charuman is one of the 15 migrant workers from Hazribagh and Giridih districts of Jharkhand, who are trapped in Hamim on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi of the UAE after paying three months ago by the Hyderabad -based utility company. Due to rent, utilities, or even food for food, workers, who were hired to hire transmission lines, have now appealed to the central and state governments here to help them return home.
The group went to Abu Dhabi in January 2024. “While hiring us two years ago, the contractor, Tirupati Reddy told us that the company has been working there for more than 10 years and is reliable,” said Charuman, who was previously working in construction in Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. “The contractor promised to pay us about 1,700 dirhams (about Rs 40,000) in a month, and we were issued a visa and asked to pay for flight tickets. We did not need to pay for rent or electricity that the company had taken care of. However, since the last three months, we have not received any salary.”
Contractor Tirupati Reddy and the company’s supervisor called and the texts became unanswered.
With the company that does not pay for rent and utilities, his landlord has cut his water and threatened to evict them from the two-girls’ house that they share in Hamim, claiming workers.
28 -year -old Bishanugraha Arjun Maho said, “This is the only thing we know.” “But these have been very difficult for the last three months. Sometimes, the contractor will give us 600 rupees to divide among eight people. And now the landlord’s ultimatum. We also begged him to let us stay for a while.”
40 -year -old Bishanu Maho said, “The heat here is unbearable. When we are forced to leave, we will not be able to stay out once. Our families are worried in the house and waiting for our return,” Another activist, 40 -year -old Bishanu Maho said, “Some Bangladeshi workers are helping us in whatever we can.”
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The workers eventually came in contact with a migrant right activist Sikander Ali. Ali said, “We are constantly following the officials and will keep urging the government to take immediate action. Everyone is trying to help in their capacity – sending letters, updating families,” Ali said.
Shikha Laxma, head of the State Migrant Control Room (SMCR) of Jharkhand – Migratory Helpline under the State Labor Department said that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had asked him to look into the issue “immediately”.
“We are working safely with the Indian Embassy in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Dubai,” he said.
Meanwhile, despite their plight, migrant workers said they would continue to search for work abroad.
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“Foreign companies usually pay well, which helps us to save the house and send home. We used to send 1,400 dirhams and keep the rest with us,” Charuman said.
(Tagstotransmit) Men of Jharkhand are stranded in UAE (T) Men trapped in UAE (T)