Bhubaneswar, 28 February (H.S.): Acting on the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the Odisha Government has successfully facilitated the safe return of six Odia youths who had been stranded in Thailand.

Earlier, four of the youths were brought back to Odisha on February 21, 2026. On Friday, the remaining two — Prashant Kumar Rout of Upulei village and Jashobant Sahoo of Kujipur village under Rajkanika block in Kendrapara district — also arrived safely, completing the repatriation process.

The six youths — Bijay Kumar Swain, Hemanta Kumar Behera, Jayanta Kumar Malik, Jashobant Sahu and Prashant Kumar Rout from Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district, along with Manaranjan Sahu from Chandabali block of Bhadrak district — had travelled to Thailand in August 2025 to work in a plywood company. However, they reportedly encountered serious difficulties, including non-payment of wages by their employer. Facing distress and financial hardship, they sought assistance from the Odisha Government to return home.

Upon receiving information about their plight, coordinated efforts were initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; the Office of the Chief Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi; the Directorate of Odisha Paribar under the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department; and the district administrations of Kendrapara and Bhadrak.

Through sustained coordination and collective intervention, all six youths have now been safely repatriated to Odisha.

After their return, the youths expressed heartfelt gratitude to the State Government for its timely support and proactive measures that ensured their safe homecoming.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda