THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Jan 2: Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the safe return of workers from Jharkhand stranded in Cameroon has been ensured. As part of this effort, 27 workers arrived home safely on Thursday. The remaining eight workers are scheduled to reach Birsa Munda Airport on the morning of January 3.
Out of the 47 workers trapped in Cameroon, 11 had already returned on December 29. With 27 workers now back, the remaining eight have also arrived in India and are expected to reach Jharkhand on Friday morning.
Jharkhand Workers Trapped in Cameroon
The 47 workers, hailing from Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih in Jharkhand, had been employed in Cameroon, Central West Africa, through M/s Transrail Lighting Limited since August 2024. These workers reported to the Chief Minister that they were not being paid their salaries and were being mistreated by the company.
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In response, Chief Minister Hemant Soren directed the State Migrant Control Room to take immediate action. The control room promptly verified the situation by contacting the workers and the concerned company. Following the complaint, FIRs were filed against the employers and middlemen on the instructions of the Secretary and Labor Commissioner, with Labour Superintendents from the respective districts handling the cases.
The control room team maintained constant communication with officials, the company, and the workers through email and phone, ensuring the payment of outstanding wages totalling ₹39,77,743.
Connecting Workers to Government Schemes
After the workers’ return, the Chief Minister instructed the departmental secretary to gather the family details of these workers and link them to government welfare schemes. Following these directions, Labour Superintendents from the respective districts have begun collecting the workers’ information and facilitating their access to the benefits offered by these schemes.
