1,200 migrant workers from Kerala reach Bengal in special train

Around 1,200 migrant labourers heaved a sigh of relief as a special train carrying them from Kerala reached West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Wednesday after a three-day journey, officials said.

Stepping out of the compartments after the train came to a halt at the Baharampur Court railway station at 9 pm, the migrants were greeted by senior administrative, police and other officials.

Tired after the long travel of nearly 2,500 km from Ernakulam, the passengers, comprising mainly labourers from Murshidabad and neighbouring districts, said they were happy to be back home.

"We were without work due to the COVID-19 lockdown, and were living out of doles by the government authorities and NGOs in Kerala," said one of the returnees.

He said the labourers, who worked in different professions from masons to plumbers and other odd jobs, were desperate to return to their homes and were happy to have finally made it back.

After alighting from the train, the passengers were given food and water by government officials, following which they were taken for mandatory medical check-up outside the station building.

Several buses and small vehicles were arranged by the state government to facilitate the travel of these people to their homes from the station, the official said.