Bhubaneswar: The remaining two Odia youths who were stranded in Thailand arrived safely in Odisha today, completing the return of all six young men following the intervention of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Prashant Kumar Raut of Upulai village in Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district and Yashobant Sahu of Kujipur village reached the state after coordinated efforts by multiple government agencies. Four other youths had already returned on February 21.
The six youths — Bijay Kumar Swain, Hemant Kumar Behera, Jayant Kumar Mallik, Yashobant Sahu, and Prashant Kumar Raut from Rajkanika block in Kendrapara district, along with Manoranjan Sahu from Chandbali block in Bhadrak district — had travelled to Thailand in August 2025 to work in a plywood company.
However, after reaching Thailand, they allegedly faced severe hardship. The youths claimed that the company owner failed to pay their salaries and that they were subjected to difficult working conditions. Stranded and distressed, they sought assistance from the Odisha government to facilitate their return.
Upon receiving information about their plight, the state government initiated swift action. The rescue and repatriation were made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; the Office of the Principal Resident Commissioner of the Odisha Government in New Delhi; the Odisha Paribar Directorate under the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department; and the district administrations of Kendrapara and Bhadrak.
With the safe return of the final two youths, all six have now reunited with their families.
After arriving in Odisha, the youths expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and the concerned departments for their timely intervention and support in bringing them home safely.
