BELAGAVI: Despite the directions of the Union government, the exodus of migrant workers from Maharashtra and Goa has not stopped. The respective state governments had been categorically told to avoid migration of people till the nationwide lockdown ends. On Monday, hundreds of such migrant workers entered the district from Maharashtra border in tractors. All of them left for their villages in Vijayapura district and Athani taluk after they were not given shelter or food by the local authorities in Athani.
Shivanand Sulake a migrant worker who came in a group of 40 to 50 workers from Shirol, Maharashtra said, ``We were not given any facility in Maharashtra ever since the lockdown was announced in the country. None of us were given health care facilities either. When we reached the border to enter Karnataka, we were stopped but somehow we managed to cross the border in Athani”. Another migrant worker, Sadashiv Surke said, “the workers migrated from Maharashtra were assured of shelter in Athani taluk, but in vain.
The government should accommodate us, as the people wayback in our villages in Vijayapura and Athani taluk will not allow us back. We will be in deep trouble if we are denied facilities here”. Meanwhile, hundreds of workers employed in Bengaluru region have arrived in Belagavi city on Sunday in search of shelter and food. A large number of them who hail from Rajasthan are housed in a government hostel at Nehru Nagar in Belagavi.
The workers are upset with the food being served to them and demand only chapatis and rotis instead of rice and dal being served to them. As chapati and roti are their staple food, most of the migrant labourers refused to eat rice. However, the local administration has assured to serve food of their choice from Monday.