Migrants leave for other states from Rajasthan in special trains and buses

Three special Shramik trains left for various states from Rajasthan in the last 24 hours to transport stranded migrant workers to their native places, officials said on Wednesday.

Apart from trains, state-run buses too have been pressed into service to ferry the migrants, they said.

The three special trains include one from Sawai Madhopur to Katihar in Bihar, Jaipur to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh and Bhagat's Kothi (Jodhpur) to Ballia. Around 4,000 migrant workers were sent to their homes by these trains, the officials said.

The travel fare was borne by the state government while their food and water arrangements have been made jointly by the railways and the state government, a statement said.

Shravan Kumar, a migrant labourer returning from Tonk to Bihar by a Shramik Special train expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the railways and the government for migrant labourers. He said it was good to return home in this difficult time.

Sundram, another migrant labourer at the Sawai Madhopur railway station, expressed happiness over this free facility provided by the railways and the government, saying they would be able to meet their family members after a long time.

Around 400 workers stranded due to the lockdown in Udaipur were taken to Haridwar in 17 buses of Rajasthan Road Transport Corporation. All these people are from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

They said the buses ran on only half capacity and followed social distancing norms. The passengers were provided food and water for free.