Khammam in Telangana a home away from home for stranded migrant workers

Screening of hit Bollywood and other movies, video calling facilities to be in touch with families, besides food and shelter arranged by officials for stranded migrant workers have made this town in Telangana a home away from home for them during the ongoing COVID-19 lockout.

While migrant workers elsewhere have hit streets seeking to return home, around 650 lodged in eight relief camps in this district, about 200 km from state capital Hyderabad and bordering Andhra Pradesh, have been kept in good humour by the district administration.

"The authorities are providing everything, including entertainment by screening of movies. I am looking forward to seeing my family once the lockdown is lifted, Ramesh, a granite worker, staying in a camp in district-headquarter town Khammam, told PTI.

Ramesh said he and his seven friends bought four used motorcycles to ride back to their home in Nagaur district in Rajasthan and were stopped in Khammam.

People like him from various places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had set out for their home states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh by walk or travelling by other means after the COVID-19 lockdown was announced.

While passing through Khammam district, they were stopped by officials, counselled against proceeding further, accommodated in shelters set up for such people and made arrangements to ensure their basic needs are met.

We are screening Hindi movies using television sets or with projectors. The idea is to keep them busy and also alleviate home sickness," Khammam District Collector R V Karnan told PTI.

Also, these activities such as screening movies and video calling facilities would help them overcome mental stress that they they may be enduring due to the lockdown, he said.

Immunisation camp for the children of the workers was also organised, Karnan said.

Super hit movies such as Salman Khan's "Dabangg 3", Rajinikanth's "Darbar", "Housefull 4" and "Thappad" are some of the flicks that were screened.

Migrant workers contribute immensely to the development of Telangana and it was a bounden duty to look after them well during crisis situations, the top district official added.

Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has appreciated the initiative by the Khammam district administration.

According to Karnan, presently there are two types of migrant community in Khammam -- regulars numbering around 44,000 working in agricultural activities and others who were stopped during lockdown.

The regular workers live with their families in the villages near the fields and were busy with their activities.

The state government is providing 12 kg rice and Rs 500 to each person.

"We have 18 camps for the migrant labourers in Khammam district. Around 650 are staying in those camps. In order to keep them in touch with their family members we have provided video calling facilities, the Collector said.

There are eight coronavirus positive cases and four containment clusters in Khammam district as of Thursday.

Officials said all the patients are undergoing treatment in the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.