Paradip, Sept. 18: The Jagatsinghpur district administration with the help of the Andhra Pradesh government has managed to get 90 migrant labourers released from the captivity of a spinning mill owner.

The victims, who were from various parts of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, have come back to the state.

The migrant workers had raised voice against lower wages. This cost them dear. Forced to toil for over 12 hours a day, they were packed like sardines in a dimly-lit house in inhospitable conditions.

“We have freed 90 migrant labourers held hostage in a spinning mill in Andhra Pradesh. They have returned to their home today after authorities in Andhra Pradesh swung into action and rescued them,” said Jagatsinghpur district collector Satya Kumar Mallick.

The labourers, most of whom were from Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, were allegedly subjected to torture and illegally confined in a spinning mill of Gonasapudu in Prakasham district of Andhra Pradesh. The matter came to light after relatives of the labourers brought the matter to the notice of the district administration.

“We intimated our counterparts in Prakasham district with a request for the early release of the Odia workers. The Andhra Pradesh authorities acted swiftly and rescued the workers,” Mallick told The Telegraph.

Some of the migrant labourers were from Bhadrak, Balasore and Cuttack districts. The circumstances that led to the inter-state migration of the labourers are being looked into. It is also being ascertained whether the labourers had made their way to Andhra Pradesh following provisions of Inter-State Migrant Workers Act, 1979.

The district labour welfare department has been asked to probe into the matter and submit a report.

A statistical survey is also being conducted on the inter-state migrant workers from Jagatsinghpur district who are eking out a living in other states, said Mallick.

“We were moved from one place to another in the past year. We were brought to Surat in Gujarat by a labour contractor. Later, we were shifted to a place in Maharashtra. Then we were brought to the spinning mill in Prakasham district with the promise that we would get higher wages. We were told we would get Rs 280 as daily wages. Instead, we were paid a paltry Rs 120 a day. We revolted and threatened to leave the factory. This provoked the mill management, who tortured us constantly. They forced us to work for 12 hours and gave us sub-standard food. The accommodation provided to us was not fit for humans,” said Samir Biswal, a labourer who was rescued yesterday from the mill.