VIJAYAWADA: Following the instructions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to come to the rescue of migrant workers, who are walking long distances on the national highways in scorching summer heat to reach their native places, officials on Sunday transported thousands of migrant workers to Odisha, North-East and other States in Shramik special trains and buses.
Officials sent 450 migrant workers from Guntur and 52 from Krishna to Odisha in APSRTC buses. Soon after the Chief Minister’s instructions to provide transportation to migrants, 470 workers were sent Saturday night from Prakasam in 10 buses, 410 from Krishna in 16 buses and 22 from Srikakulam in a bus to Odisha. This comes after AP Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney held discussions with her Odisha counterpart, who agreed to receive the migrant workers at Ganjam.
At a review meet by the Chief Minister on arrangements made to transport migrant workers to their hometowns, officials informed him that as many as 4,661 workers proceeding to their native places by walk were stopped at various check-posts and shifted to 62 relief centres. Of the total, 485 migrants are walking to various districts of AP, while the remaining 4,176 workers belong to other States. The migrant workers hail from Odisha (966), Bihar (815), Uttar Pradesh (1,012), Jharkhand (576), Chhattisgarh (331) and other States.
On Sunday, five Shramik special trains left the State carrying 7,500 migrant workers to their hometowns. The government has planned to run 22 more Shramik special trains during this week for 33,000 migrant workers and NOCs from the respective receiving States are being pursued. Till now, 31 Shramik specials have left AP carrying 39,000 people to different destinations. Of the total, nine specials were run to Bihar, five to Odisha, four each to UP, Jharkhand and Rajasthan, three to Maharashtra and one each to Chhattisgarh and MP, officials told the CM.
Jagan asked them to ensure that migrant workers are provided food and all basic facilities. “Do not think about the cost involved in making arrangements for migrants who are going by walk for longer distances to reach their hometowns. This is the time to show humanity,” he said and directed officials to run buses on the highways to pick migrants and shift them to the nearest relief centres.
79 food counters set up along highways for migrant workers
Officials said revenue staff were deployed at all the police check-posts to counsel migrant labourers to go to relief centres with a promise to send them by Shramik specials. “A total of 79 food counters are set up along the national highways near check-posts to provide food and water to migrants. Similarly, Collectors have been asked to put banners on the highways in Odia and Hindi explaining the arrangements made for migrant workers going to their hometowns by walk.
Once they reach the relief centres, people belonging to AP are to be sent to their native districts by APSRTC buses free of cost,” officials said. Similarly, for the people belonging to other States who are being sent to their native places by trains, they are being transported to the embarkation points free of cost. Principal Secretary (Transport) and Covid-19 Nodal Officer MT Krishna Babu said till date 36,823 migrant workers were sent to their States in 31 Shramik special trains from AP and 40,000 more will be sent home soon. Further, 1,09,742 migrant workers belonging to the State working in different districts were sent to their hometowns. The highest number of 50,463 migrant workers were transported to Kurnool, he added.
Thousands leave State
36,823 migrant workers sent to their States in 31 Shramik special trains from AP
1,09,742 migrant workers belonging to AP shifted to their native places
50,463 migrant workers transported to Kurnool district
7,500 migrant workers left for hometowns in
5 Shramik special trains on Sunday
22 Shramik special trains to carry 33,000 migrants to their hometowns this week