by: Navjeevan Express

4 lakh migrants ferried out of Gujarat in shramik trains so far

NE NEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, MAY 14

Over 300 Shramik Special trains from Gujarat have ferried around 4 lakh migrant workers to their home states amid the lockdown so far, accounting for 40 percent of transportation of such people in the country, said officials on Thursday.

With this, out of the total 10 lakh migrants sent back to their respective native places through Shramik Special trains across the country so far, as many as four lakh were from Gujarat alone, they said.

Till Wednesday night, 301 trains carrying around four lakh migrant workers and their family members had departed from different cities of Gujarat, said Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Ashwani Kumar.

“Around 10 lakh migrants were sent back to their native places by trains across India till Wednesday. Among these, four lakh were from Gujarat alone.

“We are also hopeful that migrant workers would come back to Gujarat soon to resume their work,” said Kumar in a video message.

Out of 301 trains which had departed from Gujarat to date, as many as 204 trains were for Uttar Pradesh, followed by 34 trains for Bihar, 30 for Odisha, 20 for Madhya Pradesh, eight for Jharkhand, among other states, he said.

Ahmedabad Dist sends 17,000 labourers to home by 11 trains

As a part of its ongoing series “Vatan Vaapsi” (Journey Back to Home), aimed at sending the migrant labourers to their respective native places through railways, the Ahmedabad district administration has sent nearly 17,000 labourers by as many as 11 trains in the last 24 hours. So far, the district administration has sent nearly 1,12,000 passengers, who had arrived in Gujarat in search of their livelihood, to their respective states, said K.  K. Nirala, Ahmedabad District Collector, here on Thursday.

“Firstly, a list of labourers residing in Ahmedabad city and other parts of the district was prepared; then they were brought to Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Memco in the city, and later were taken to Ahmedabad railway station,” he added.

It should be noted that these 17,000 labourers included, 1,637 labourers sent to Meu, 1,453 labourers to Pratapgadh, 1,592 labourers to Kanpur, 1,600 Lucknow, 1,600 to Agra, 1,404 to Dehradun, 1,600 to Azamgadh, 1,417 labourers from Viramgam to Kanpur and Azamgadh, 1,601 to Faizabad, and 1,365 and 1,600 to Kanpur through two separate trains. In total 11 trains were flagged-off from by the district administration, the district collector added.

https://twitter.com/DDNewsGujarati/status/1260830821335748611?s=20

One Ramprakash, who boarded the train to Kanpur, said that the district administration has made wonderful and adequate arrangements, which included  food and water, for the journey. “I am very thankful to the government for providing us such facilities.”

Another passenger, Chandresh Chauhan said, “I am heartily happy with the arrangements made by the government. My family is residing in Kanpur. I have children and wife, who were worried about my well being; finally, I am reaching home now.”

Shramik Special trains to transport migrant workers stranded due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown were started following a nod from the Centre early this month.