BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has so far facilitated return of over 25,000 stranded migrant workers to their respective states by trains after Ministry of Home Affairs took strong exception to their walking on railway tracks and highways to reach home. Official sources said more than 10,000 migrant labourers passing through Odisha have also been safely transported to border points near to their destination states.
The workers were provided with food, water and due medical care.
A shramik special train left from Sambalpur and Kanpur on Wednesday with 1068 adult migrant workers and 50 children from Uttar Pradesh who were stranded in Odisha.
Collectors of 17 districts had mobilised all the workers by arranging 30 buses to Sambalpur. Sambalpur Collector had also arranged accommodation of 1,000 workers at Burla. Official sources said the migrants were provided meals, dry food packets, mask and soap by the district administration before their departure.
So far, over 2.03 lakh migrant workers have arrived in Odisha since May 3 by trains, buses and other vehicles. As many as 11,295 Odia people stranded in other states reached on Wednesday. The State Government has readied 15,867 temporary medical centres in 6798 panchayats where around seven lakh beds have been arranged to provide Covid-19 health services in rural areas.