Rayagada: Two migrant workers – Maheshwar Majhi (20) and Rangadhar Majhi (17) of Tikri village in Kashipur block of Odisha’s Rayagada district died soon after returning to their hometown from Palmanpeta in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatna area. The two siblings had gone to Visakhapatnam to work in a shrimp processing unit.
While working there, both brothers fell ill owing to hard work and the absence of food and medication. The owner as well as the labour contractor who took the two to Visakhapatna deprived them of their salaries and even denied two square means. According to the deceased’s family, Maheshwar and Rangadhar were virtually kept captive as bonded labourers at the factory.
According to reports, when the company owner did not listen to their pleas, the two brothers somehow succeeded in fleeing the factory and reached Visakhapatna railway station. The ailing and impoverished Maheshwar and Rangadhar borrowed some money from their supervision and took a train to Rayagada. RPF personnel found the two brothers in an unconscious state at Rayagada station and were taken to the Rayagada Hospital and later to Mohana Hospital, where they died within hours of each other.
On being informed, Rayagada police sent their bodies for post-mortem and handed over their bodies to their family.
Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended on Tikri village as the tragic death of the two siblings spread in the region.
