Chandigarh, May 11 – While empathizing with the distress of the migrant labourers and workers stranded in the state due to the peculiar conditions created by the global pandemic, COVID-19, the Haryana government has continued the work of sending eager migrant workers to their home states. Today, 1,208 agricultural migrant labourers from Rewari and 1,188 migrant labourers from Ambala Cantonment left by Special Shramik Trains with their families.

Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal said that the contribution of migrant labourers to the progress of the State has been significant; therefore the State Government has started the work of sending the migrant workers stuck in the Haryana during the lockdown period especially those who are willing to go to their home states free of cost through various special trains. The government will make an effort that every willing migrant worker should be sent safely to his home state.

As many as 1208 agricultural migrant workers today leave for Bihar from Rewari junction The work of sending migrant workers from Rewari junction to their home state is going on for five consecutive days and today a special train carrying 1208 agricultural migrant workers left for Araria in Bihar. Out of these 1208, 703 migrant workers were from Rewari and 505 were from Mahendragarh district. Workers boarding the ‘Special Shramik train’, which left in the afternoon, were greeted and applauded by the people standing on the platform. They wished them a happy and successful journey.

Before boarding the train, a team of doctors conducted health checkups and thermal scanning of each migrant worker and labourer. On the railway junction, adequate arrangements were made for the sanitization of the migrant workers while adhering to the social distancing norms as they stood in queues to board their respective trains. Wheelchairs were arranged for the convenience of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Tight security arrangements were made at the station by the railway and District Administration. As many as 505 migrant workers from Mahendragarh were brought to Rewari railway junction by Haryana Roadways Buses after undergoing a medical examination.

All necessary arrangements made at the railway station Agricultural migrant labourers living in Rewari were brought from the shelter home to the railway station through roadways buses. While on the one hand, the railway platform was repeatedly cleaned with vacuum cleaners on the other it was ensured that every labourer sanitized his hands. Arrangement of food and water was also made for them. Volunteers were deployed to help seat the labourers in their respective coaches so that they did not face any trouble while doing so.

Migrant workers term Haryana government seal on the railway ticket, as a kind gesture of Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal Hardoi, along with her husband and children had boarded a special train leaving from the Rewari junctions for Araria district in Bihar, said, “Haryana government has done a great favour for us to send us to our home state at the government expenses.”

While showing Haryana government seal on the railway ticket, the labourer said that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal has arranged free of cost transportation for them so that they can safely reach their home states. The labourers said that they were very grateful to the State Government and doctors for conducting the health check-ups, feeding them at shelter homes, transporting them by Haryana Roadways buses to the railway station, providing them food and water for their onward journey and also giving them masks.

1188 migrant labourers leave from Ambala Cantonment Junction Similarly, today 1188 migrant workers were sent from platform number-3 of Ambala Cantonment Junction to Muzaffarpur (Bihar). The health check-ups of the migrant workers from seven districts were done before boarding the train and they were also provided with masks, food packets, water bottles so that they do not face any trouble in their onward journey.

Apart from this, while maintaining social distancing norms, police personnel and railway employees completed the work of sending the migrant workers in their respective coaches. Food arrangements in collaboration with social organizations and railway management were made for everyone. This train will reach Muzaffarpur in about 25 hours via Saharanpur.

Expressing his happiness, other migrant workers, Sona Lal, Akhilesh, Jogimaji, and Bechuras said that they were very thankful to the State Government for sending them to their home states free of cost.

Thanking the State Government heartily they said that in this hour of crisis, sending the migrant labourers back to their home states in safe and systematic manner is certainly a commendable step. They said that at one point of time, they had left the hope of returning home but they were now really thankful to the Haryana government who had not only taken the responsibility of sending them back but had also taken care of conducting their health-checkups, providing masks and food packets.

Echoing the same sentiments, Mukhdev Paswan, Lal Mahmood and Bindu said that they had come to various districts of Haryana for crop harvesting. They also felt indebted towards the State Government for providing them with the facility to go back to their homes. While going home, these migrant labourers were provided with food, masks, and water bottles. Expressing their happiness, they said that on reaching their home state, they will definitely inform the people, including their family about the commendable work done by the Haryana government in this hour of crisis, the State Government has treated us as a family and made adequate arrangements to send them back to their homes.