8,351 migrants move in seven Shramik Trains from Punjab
35 percent cancellation of travel plan by migrants indicate Punjab heading towards normalcy
Ferozepur, May 7, 2020: In Punjab, seven Shramik Express trains have left for other states and so far ferried 8,351 migrants - Azamgarh 1380, Hardoi 1288, Purnia 1177, Gorakhpur 918, Lucknow 1200, Daltonganj 1188 and Jharkhand 1200 who have given their consent by applying online to go back to their home towns in view of no work amid curfew imposed due to coronavirus threat.
The State has 10 lakh migrant labourers as per the statement of Chief Minister and had asked those willing to be repatriated to their states to apply online at www.covidhelp.pujab.gov.in.
As many as 3 lakh migrants reported having applied to the state government to be repatriated to their home states. It will be a great set back to the industry in Punjab to bring the work back on track if labourers go back to their native places. White the productions have their own problem of resources to keep them and pay them without work. It is expected that the units will be back to work when the situation becomes normal after 2-3 months.
Railways had planned these special trains on the requirement of the state government for the migrant worker to join their families in the wake of lockdown in the Punjab during which the period labour has become surplus because of shut down of industry, construction work and other allied works.
According to DC Mohali, Girish Dayalan, 35 per cent less than those who had registered themselves on the government portal had turned up for departure. Today one such train has left from Mohali to Hardoi carrying 1288 migrants.
Turning up less than the registered migrants on the portal, for boarding the planned trains from Punjab, indicate that Punjab is heading towards normalcy.
Today, more trains were chugged off from Jalandhar and Mohali – 24-coach - for Azamgarh and Hardoi in UP, with 1380 and 1288 migrants respectively on board. It looked to be a positive indication that we are heading towards normalcy especially when the curfew period has been relaxed in Punjab with certain restrictions. Similarly, two trains from Ludhiana also left for Purnia in Bihar with 1177 migrants and in the evening train to Gorakhpur (UP) with 928 migrants.
The migrants were ferried via buses from the designated collection centres to the railway station. The railways have made all adequate arrangements of maintaining the social distancing, for screening before boarding the train besides deploying the RPF staff for the safe journey up to their destination.
The five earlier trains took migrants to Daltongunj (Jharkhand), Gazipur, Banaras, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Ayodhya. The entire expenditure is being borne by the Punjab government for the trains.
In Ferozepur also, online registration process has been completed and as when the rail coaches are demanded by the district administration, the same will be arranged, said railway official.
The migrant workers are not bound to board the train even after the confirmation of the registration on the portal and they can choose to stay back and work, said the district administration official.