Ganjam awaits big wave of the homebound Odias as ‘Subha Yatra’ rolls out
BHUBANESWAR: As hundreds of migrant workers make their way back to the State amidst an extended lockdown, Ganjam district awaits the first big wave of the homebound Odias. A special train carrying 1,250 migrants left Surat for Odisha on Sunday evening and more trains will leave tomorrow. They are all headed to Ganjam. Director-General of Police Abhay tweeted that at least 75 buses, carrying migrant workers, entered the Odisha borders through Sohela check-gate.
station which awaits a train carrying Odia
migrant workers from Kerala
Unofficial sources maintain that around 30,000 migrants may have already left in nearly 400 buses. As the Gujarat Government relaxed restrictions for the return of the migrants, social distancing norms went for a toss with people allowed to board the buses after purchasing tickets by showing their Adhaar cards. Sushant Kumar Rout of the Prabasi Parivar, a non-resident Odia organisation in Gujarat, said that in early phases the returnees were screened before boarding the buses.
“As there was more rush subsequently and the local administration did not bother, screening of the returnees was not done. Price of the tickets were also brought down from `3500 to `2500, to facilitate the return of more people,” he said.
Because of chaos, the Prabasi Parivar has stopped sending people and several other organisations entered the scene to send the migrants back home, he informed. The outfit had sent migrants in 18 phases initially. Each bus carried 55 people, he said and claimed that now 72 people are being allowed to travel in a bus without maintaining social distancing norms. The Gujarat Government has since stopped giving permission to buses at the check posts.
Bus permits for return of migrants now will have to be obtained from the Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) there. Meanwhile, a special train carrying 1,103 stranded Odias in Kerala left Ernakulam on Saturday evening. The train is expected to reach Odisha by tomorrow morning.
Official sources maintained that all the passengers were screened twice for Covid-19 once at the time of their selection and then at the time of boarding the train. Official sources maintained that the stranded people were allowed to return home as per an understanding between the O d i s h a a n d Ke r a l a governments. The Odisha Government said the return of stranded Odias is being facilitated as part of Operation ‘Subha Yatra’.
‘Subha Yatra’, Ganjam braces for big numbers
Announcing this here, IT Secretary Manoj Mishra said that a total of 1150 migrant workers belonging to 23 districts are on their way back from Ernakulum in a special train. “The migrant workers were sent off by the Kerala government with dignity and convenience. Out of 1150 workers, 382 are from Kandhamal, 283 from Kendrapara and 130 from Ganjam,” he said. Official sources said these workers have registered in the government portal prior to returning to their home state. The train on the way to Odisha will stop at Jagannathpur in Ganjam district and the Khurda Road at Jatni.