Most of these youths stuck abroad are from middle class and lower middle class families, who had taken hefty loans, either from private money-lenders or from banks, to send them abroad.

In some cases, families do not have any clue about their sons for the past five-six years.

'My son Balwinder Singh (25) had gone to Libya six months back after paying a travel agent Rs.150,000. He was promised a job of carpenter with a salary of Rs.25,000,' Bimla Devi, a mother and resident of a village in this district, told IANS.

'However, there is no job and my son is forced to do odd work there. He has got no salary for the past six months and they give him food just once a day. If they oppose, then the agents beat them mercilessly,' she added.

LBP president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia said, 'We want the government to take strict action against these fake travel agents, who are running their business from small shops. Many of them disappear after cheating people of millions of rupees.'

The LBP, in its appeal, asked the district administration to approach Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and also demanded an immediate intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and concerned union ministry in this matter.