HYDERABAD: Some in large groups, while some alone; some carrying their children on head and shoulders, while some others their luggage — the Secunderabad Railway Station, on Wednesday, witnessed scores of migrant workers queuing up in front of it to return to their native areas in other States, after the government imposed yet another lockdown in Telangana.
The scene, on the first day of the 10-day lockdown, was no different at any other transit points in the city. While the State Labour Department officials claim that measures have been taken to provide all assistance to migrant labourers and the situation is not as bad as last year, the ground reality paints a different picture.
“In coordination with Revenue and Police departments, help desks have been set up at most transit points to help the migrant workers who want to leave the city. We have also arranged shelter homes near these transit points so that migrants do not face problems,” Joint Commissioner of Labour Department (Hqts) L Chaturvedi told Express.
He added: “We have also informed all appointed officials at Hyderabad and other districts to ask migrants in all districts and cities to stay put in their places. Employers have also been asked to provide all assistance to migrant workers to encourage them to stay back.”
Ground reality different
A 50-year-old daily-wage labourer Suresh Churasiya, hailing from Danapur in Bihar, who has been waiting at the Secunderabad Railway Station since Wednesday morning, lamented: “Show us where these night shelters and help desks are. Outside the station, we can’t even find shade to protect ourselves from the rain and heat.”
Another person, Sumesh Kumar, also from Bihar, who has been waiting at the station for almost 24 hours, said: “As soon as the lockdown was announced on Tuesday, our employers threw us without even paying us for the month of May. So, we left our rented homes and came to the station hoping that we will be able to head back home. Finally, we got a ticket for Thursday morning. But till then, where do I keep my children and wife? No one came to give us food or any other help. Like last year, we are on our own and these government officials are just watching us suffer.” Express spoke to many such migrant workers on Wednesday and all of them had similar ordeals to narrate.
27K migrants have left Hyd
According to the data provided by the State Labour Department, since April 1 to May 12, more than 27,258 migrant workers, belonging to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, UP and West Bengal, have left Hyderabad. Additionally, 3,232 migrant workers have left from others districts of the State. While the department officials claim that this number is far less than that of last year, experts claim that this year, the exodus from Telangana started soon after cases started to increase.
“Unlike last year, this year’s complete lockdown was not imposed suddenly. Also, because the public transport is still operational, the exodus happened gradually but the numbers might not be different,” said city-based activists.