GUNTUR: Dachepalli police seized a container truck after they found 62 migrant workers being ferried to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The workers from Marturu in Prakasam district had chosen the surreptitious and dangerous journey to work in the agriculture fields in Lucknow.
A team of police and revenue department officials stopped the container coming from Prakasam district at Pondugula check-post in Guntur district for inspection. Officials got suspicious as the driver could not give a satisfactory answer. During the search, they found 62 daily wagers inside the container. Guntur Rural SP Ch Vijaya Rao said they have seized the container and booked cases against the workers. The workers were sent to their native Marturu in Prakasam district. The SP also warned of stern action against those trying to cross the border illegally at Pondugala and Nagarjana Sagar dam. He said that cases will be booked against those entering AP illegally. He urged the workers to stay where they are till they get requisite permission. He also appealed to people to adhere to lockdown norms.
“Permission was given only for vehicles carrying essential commodities. People can dial 1902 for any help,” he added. In another incident on Tuesday night, two persons tried to cross River Krishna by a boat. But the police seized the boat and registered cases against the duo as well as the boat driver.
It may be mentioned that 160 migrant workers came to Pondugala from Telangana State on May 4 to reach their native places in AP. But the police stopped them and shifted them to quarantine centre at Brahmanapalli in Machavaram mandal.