BISWANATH CHALIALI, Dec 26 � Altogether 43 labourers belonging to Coochbehar area in West Bengal have been allegedly held captive in two brick kilns at Golaghat and Numligarh by their owners.
One of the said labourers, Phulkishor Barman, who had managed to escape from the clutches of the owners and arrived at Dhalibil, revealed this to mediapersons today. According to Barman, one Noor Islam Miyan of Bokakhat had hired these people including women and children from Jambari and Deokhat of Coochbehar to work at a brick kiln at Tezpur assuring them to pay rupees seven thousand each per month but the mediator took them ot upper Assam instead and engaged 15 of them at Golaghat and the rest at Kamargaon, Numaligarh.
In return, Islam allegedly received Rs 20 lakhs from the owners, viz., P Agarwal of ABC Brick Industry and S Agarwal of MRF Brick Industry. After receiving the money, the man fled from the scene and the owners restricted the movements of the labourers. They have also allegedly deprived them of minimum requirements of livelihood like proper food, drinking water and even medical needs. The labourers had approached local police but their earnest requests fell on deaf ears. Getting information on their pathetic state, a relative, Bipul Barman, who is a GP president has arrived at Dhaliabil along with other conscious persons and appealed to the administration to take necessary action for the safe release of the labourers.
