Telangana administration rescued 14 bonded laborers from Amaragiri in Mahabubnagar district, where they were forced to work under inhumane conditions in fishing operations on the Krishna River.
The laborers, including 11 from Nandapur block in Odisha and 3 from Araku region in Andhra Pradesh, had been lured by a local agent named Babujhi. He promised ₹12,000 monthly wages and took them to Telangana under a formal contract. However, once there, they faced brutal working hours—from 3 AM to 11 AM and again from 3 PM to 9 PM—without proper food or rest.
When some workers fell ill and tried to stop working, company staff allegedly beat them and denied food. Despite the abuse, two laborers managed to escape and informed local volunteers in Amaragiri. These volunteers alerted Kolhapur Sub-Collector Bansilal Bhukiya, who immediately intervened.
Under Bhukiya’s direct supervision, officials rescued all 14 laborers and declared their contracts invalid. Authorities arranged safe transportation for the workers to return home. The rescued individuals later confirmed their safe arrival via phone calls.
Among those rescued were Sonia Khil, Basu Khara, Bhima Khil, Suku Khil, Sunduru Khara, Sukidev Khil, Kalia Mari, Lachina Mari, Ravi Mari, Sundar Mari, and Suresh Mari from Odisha. From Andhra Pradesh, the rescued included Pangi Arjun, Pujari Abhimurti, and Subbarao.
The workers praised the Telangana administration for ending their ordeal. Local leaders urged youth to be cautious of fraudulent job offers and learn from this incident.
