Over 2.6 lakh migrant labourers sent home in special trains, buses: Hry govt

More than 2.6 lakh migrant labourers have so far been sent back to their native states by the Haryana government in 60 special trains and over 5,000 state transport buses, an official spokesperson said on Sunday.

Those migrant labourers who have expressed their willingness to return to their native states during the COVID-19-triggered lockdown are being sent back, he said.

On Saturday, ADGP, CID, Anil Kumar Rao interacted with passengers onboard a Shramik Special train at Ambala Cantonment Railway Station, which was going to Barauni in Bihar.

Rao said that about 1,631 migrant labourers and children were sent to Barauni in the special train.

He said the migrant labourers were given packed food, fruits, juice, and water for their journey after their medical check-up and thermal screening was conducted.

A team comprising Anil Kumar Rao, Director, State Transport Haryana, Virender Kumar Dahiya, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Law & Order, Rakesh Arya have been deputed by the state government to monitor transport arrangements and coordinate with nodal officers of Indian Railways and Transport Department for sending migrants to their home states.

Rao said migrant labourers returning to their home states were very happy and appreciated the efforts being made by the Haryana government.

He said the entire expenditure of trains and buses being run to send migrant labourers to their home states is being borne by the Haryana government.

Free of cost arrangements are being made by the state government to keep these migrant labourers in relief shelters from where they are later brought to the railway stations and bus stands, he said.

On Saturday, five Shramik trains departed from different places in Haryana including Ambala taking migrant labourers back to their home states, the spokesperson said.

As many as 1400 labourers from Gurugram were sent to Araria in Bihar, 1600 from Rewari to Purnia in Bihar, 1500 from Rohtak to Bhagalpur in Bihar and 958 labourers hailing from Agartala and Assam were sent from Gurugram to Guwahati.

In addition, 284 buses took migrant labourers home in different parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The spokesperson informed that apart from free tickets, the concerned district administration provided these migrant labourers with food, water bottles, masks and sanitisers so that they do not face any difficulty regarding basic necessities on their journey.

Health checkups were conducted at the railway station and social distancing norms were followed inside the coaches, he said.