UP: Over 4,600 workers arrive from Maharashtra, Gujarat

Over 4,600 stranded migrant workers arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday in four special trains--one from Maharashtra and three from Gujarat.

While the train from Maharashtra's Akola brought 1,195 labourers to Lucknow in the morning, 1,115 workers arrived at Gorakhpur around 4 pm from Gujarat's Nadiad.

A batch of 1,116 migrant workers arrived in Lucknow on Tuesday evening from Vadodara.

In Kanpur, another special train carrying 1,220 migrant workers stranded in Godhra (Gujarat) due to the coronavirus lockdown reached in the afternoon afternoon, said a railway official.

On Monday, over 3,000 labourers stuck in Maharashtra were brought to Uttar Pradesh in three special trains.

Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation MD Raj Shekhar said 54 buses were deployed to take the Akola workers to districts of Jalaun, Kannauj, Allahabad, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Jaunpur on Tuesday.

Gorakhpur (Sadar) SDM Gaurav Singh Sogarwal said the workers were sent to 29 districts after thermal scanning and verification of documents.

A senior official of the roadways corporation in Gorakhpur said 57 UPSRTC buses took them to their destinations.

Kanpur District Magistrate Brahmdeo Ram Tiwari said the labourers who arrived there hailed from 53 different districts of the state.

The workers also seemed relieved after returning to their home state.

Ravi (38), who returned from Nadiad, said he worked at a brick kiln there and belonged to Noorpur village of Hathras district.

“After the lockdown, I had no work. I was living on my little savings and it was difficult for me to feed my family. I was depressed.

Thankfully, I was left with some money and I was able to return,” he said.

"We were served food twice in the train," he added.

Zahir Alam (55) of Kasganj district said he was only bread winner for his family and was worried about them.

“I am still not able to believe that I have reached my state. I am very thankful to the government for this train."

Earlier briefing reporters here, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and

Information) Awanish Awasthi had said so far, nearly 65,000 labourers and students have been brought to the state or sent to other places.

Awasthi said UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has told them that in coming days, Indians stranded abroad are likely to return, for which screening and quarantine facilities should be ensured.