70 labourers abandon plan to leave Delhi after police help

Around 70 labourers who had planned to leave the national capital amid the lockdown were convinced to stay put by the police, which also arranged for their meals and assured them of further help, officials said on Friday.

The police received information that around 70 daily wagers, who were living in rented accommodations at the Gujar Chowk area of South Delhi's Sangam Vihar, were planning to leave for their native places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"Assistant Sub-Inspector Devraj and constable Chetan were sent there andthe workers were convinced to stay put. But the workers said they were not being served food as they did not have plates," said Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South).

Plates were procured by ASI Devraj for all of them and they were provided meals. Their landlords were also asked not to demand rent from them, he said.

The labourers were given phone numbers of police officers in case of any emergency, he added.

In another incident, 29 labourers who were attempting to return to their villages in Bihar from Delhi's Khirki village on cycles were intercepted by the police near Pushpa Bhavan in south Delhi.

After they were counselled, they returned to their accommodations and promised not to leave again, the DCP said.

The police also intercepted 15 people at a picket on Aurobindo Marg in south Delhi, he said.

They were coming from Kabadi bazar area in west Delhi's Mayapuri and were travelling to Azamgarh and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.

All of them were sent back by a DTC bus, he added.