NEW DELHI, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- New Delhi has taken up the issue of seven Indian employees of an Indian infrastructure development and finance company held hostage in Ethiopia with the authorities in capital Addis Ababa, officials said on Saturday.
"The matter has been taken up on priority with both Ethiopian authorities and IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services) management with a view to resolve this expeditiously.
The ministry is doing its best to ensure a settlement of this matter," state-run broadcaster All India Radio quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.
Reports said that seven Indian workers belonging to IL&FS had been detained by the local employees since Nov. 25 for failing to pay their salaries.
The failure of IL&FS in release of payments to its staff reportedly was owing to defaulting on 12.6 billion U.S. dollars in debt.
