6.44 lakh stranded migrants in Punjab wish to return to their homes

More than six lakh migrants stuck in Punjab due to the coronavirus lockdown have applied with the state government for returning to their respective states, official said on Sunday.

Most of them are migrant labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, they said.

The state has around 10 lakh migrant workers, of which 7 lakh are in Ludhiana alone.

The Punjab government had asked those who wish to return to their native places to apply online and 6,44,378 migrants have registered.

According to a government data, 3.43 lakh of them are from Uttar Pradesh and 2.35 lakh from Bihar.

Over 10,000 people have registered to return to Jharkhand and West Bengal and 5,000 migrants wish to go back to Jammu and Kashmir, the data said.

Migrants have also registered to return to Andaman and Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Nagaland, Sikkim, Puducherry, among other states and union territories.

Earlier this week, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed the states to ferry migrant labourers, students and tourists back home in buses or special trains.