ALAPPUZHA/KOCHI: A total of 2,280 migrant workers left the state by two trains on Tuesday. After a 42-day wait, the first batch of 1,140 migrant labourers from Alappuzha district left for Bihar by a special train from Alappuzha railway station, while the same number of workers left for Jharkhand from Ernakulam South railway station. Guest workers from Ambalappuzha (549), Mavelikkara (557) and Kuttanad (34) taluks boarded the train from Alappuzha to Bettiah in Bihar at 5 pm. The district administration and Health Department officials held a detailed medical examination of travellers before they boarded the train. They were brought to the railway station in KSRTC buses.
The district administration officials gave food packets and drinking water to each passenger. Migrant workers had to foot the ticket price of Rs 930 for their journey back home. Though it was first decided to arrange the train on Monday, there was no approval from the Bihar government which delayed their travel. KSRTC arranged 21 buses from Mavelikkara, 23 from Ambalappuzha and three from Kuttanad to bring the labourers to the railway station. District Collector M Anjana, district police chief James Joseph and other officials were present at the station. Another train will leave Alappuzha with migrant labourers on Thursday.
1,140 labourers leave for Jharkhand
Another special train with migrant labourers left Ernakulam South railway station on Tuesday at 8.30 pm carrying 1,140 persons to Jharkhand. So far, five special trains have departed from the state carrying thousands of migrant workers to their native states. The special train got delayed for some time owing to technical issues. According to Snehil Kumar Singh, sub-collector, the migrants came from Kochi, Kunnathunad and Kothamangalam. “They were taken to the railway station in 40 KSRTC buses,” he said.