Exploited quarry workers: ‘We need to extend help,’ says Indian High Commissioner

The High Commission of India in Guyana said it is working with the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning as investigations continue into the treatment of 38 Indian nationals employed at the Ekka Hrim quarry in Batavia, Region Seven.

Acting Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Manoj Kumar, told Ignite News on Wednesday that the matter remains under active review.

“We are working on this case,” Kumar said. “They are our Indian workers, and we need to extend help. We are working in association with the Ministry of Labour.”

Kumar said the commission is coordinating with local authorities after being asked whether assistance had already been provided to facilitate the workers’ return to India.

The issue drew public attention after allegations emerged that the workers’ passports had been withheld, a practice commonly regarded as an indicator of labour trafficking and exploitation.

The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning has since launched an investigation into the matter.

The workers were employed at the Ekka Hrim quarry operation in Batavia, where concerns were raised about their living and working conditions. Authorities later intervened, and the workers reportedly regained possession of their travel documents following engagement by officials and mounting public scrutiny over the issue.