Abandoned, over 14,000 migrant labourers go hungry in Telangana

Higher authorities seek inquiry into incidents in which contractors deny essential commodities to workers despite government directions.
Police officials interact with some migrant labourers who are marooned in Warangal district due to the 21-day-long nationwide lockdown
Police officials interact with some migrant labourers who are marooned in Warangal district due to the 21-day-long nationwide lockdown

WARANGAL: Following the nationwide lockdown to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, close to 14,046 migrant labourers in Warangal are left hungry.

With employers refusing to provide food and shelter, these workers have started to return to their native states on foot.

The Central and State governments have appealed to the workers to stay at the same place and provided them with temporary accommodation and food.

According to the district administration authorities, officials, with the help of police, held a meeting with contractors and instructed them to provide the worker with food and shelter.

When Express contacted the Warangal Urban district collector, Rajiv Gandhi Hanumathu, he said the civic body and revenue officials have been instructed to provide the workers with food and shelter.

“We have also directed the contractors to pay the workers and provide them with food and accommodation,” said Hanumanthu.

The workers, belonging to Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, predominantly work in industries, stone-crushing companies and chilli farms.

Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, various businesses were shut, leaving the workers with no livelihood.

On Saturday, a migrant worker from Peechara village under Velair mandal in Warangal Urban district called the CM’s helpline number and complained about his contractor not providing food to workers. With his complaint, higher officials immediately responded and asked for an inquiry report from the district officials into the incident.

The district officials immediately responded and informed the Mandal Revenue Officer(MRO) of Velair, B Satyanarayana Yadav, who went to the field and submitted a report to the district administration, said sources.

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