Migrant workers continue to travel by trucks, bicycle to their home states

Migrant labourers from Nagpur and Ludhiana have are moving on their own by any means of transport they could find to reach their native home amid Covid-19 lockdown on Sunday.

Some migrant workers continued to travel by trucks while some are traveling on foot and bicycles from Punjab's Ludhiana to reach their respective homes.

A labourer from Nagpur who was traveling in a truck said, "Since the start of lockdown we have faced a number of problems. We wear masks all the time but maintaining social distancing is difficult while travelling like this."

Meanwhile, people in Punjab who mostly are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar said that it will take them around a week to reach their homes.

Covid-19: Migrants on their way home hit a hurdle at Delhi-UP border

Migrant workers headed on foot towards their native places in different parts of Uttar Pradesh hit a hurdle at Ghazipur near the Delhi-UP border late on Saturday night.

Pinky, one of the migrants said, "We have come from Gurugram and we are going to Hardoi in UP. I don't know how we'll reach home as police is not allowing us to move forward".

Another worker Ram Babu said "I have been walking from Swaroop Nagar and we have been stopped by police here. My landlord verbally abused me and asked us for rent as it was pending for two months. We have no money to get ration, so we felt it was better to leave."

A woman in the group said "They are asking us to go back. They are demanding a pass, what should we do?"

On Friday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories (UTs), directing them to ensure that there is no movement of migrant workers on roads and railway tracks, and facilitate their movement through special buses or Shramik special trains.