Migrant workers in the lurch as officials lack clarity on travel permits in Telangana

However, both the numbers have not been working. Many labourers from Rajasthan are working in Telangana, especially in the capital city of Hyderabad and other adjoining areas.
Migrant labourers enquire about travel permits and transport arrangements to their native places at Chandanagar police station on Saturday.
Migrant labourers enquire about travel permits and transport arrangements to their native places at Chandanagar police station on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: The migrant labourers, students, tourists and other people who are stranded in Hyderabad and the surrounding areas due to lockdown restrictions are facing a tough time in their attempt to travel back to their native places, even though the Ministry of Home Affairs has granted an exemption for the interstate movement of such persons. 

One major hurdle in this regard is the non-availability of senior bureaucrats who were appointed as nodal officers for various states to facilitate the interstate travel of the migrant workers and others, as their mobile phones remain switched off for the most part of the day and they remain inaccessible. For instance, two nodal officers were appointed for Rajasthan — P Ramesh (IAS) and Janga Srinivasa Rao (IPS), and their mobile numbers (9929799297 and 9462876188) were also made public so that any Rajasthani migrant labourer stranded in other states will be able to contact them.

However, both numbers have not been working. Many labourers from Rajasthan are working in Telangana, especially in the capital city of Hyderabad and other adjoining areas. The other major problem is complete lack of knowledge among officials of police and other departments on how to go about the process of allowing the migrant labourers to return to their home states. 

Police clueless
In Telangana, even senior police officials are clueless on how to facilitate the interstate travel of the migrant workers as there is no concrete procedure in place. Same is the situation of the police personnel in various police stations of the city, where migrant labourers have been gathering in hundreds, seeking help. 
For example, some migrant workers reached Punjagutta police station armed with their Aadhaar cards and other documents, to seek travel permission. However, they were left disappointed as the police told them that they did not receive any information about issuing such permits.

Upset by the response, the workers made a desperate call to the Covid-19 control room and that too proved futile as the officials manning the control room said that no such facility is being provided as of now as they have not received any instructions to give permissions. The workers were instead asked to contact Hyderabad West Zone police at 040-27856794, but unfortunately that phone number too was non-operational.

Later, when the migrant workers contacted Hyderabad police control room number, they were informed that the Special Branch Police are issuing the necessary passes. But to their disappointment, the Special Branch Police said that they have now stopped issuing the passes.

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