'Haryana govt to send back migrant workers free of cost in next 7 days': CM Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday announced that in the next seven days, all the stranded migrant workers who wish to return will be sent back to their home states free of charge through 100 trains and 5000 buses arranged by the state government. So far the state government has helped 23,452 migrant workers to travel back to their home states by trains and buses, stated a Tweet from the Chief Ministers office.

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Shramik Special trains

As many as 2,400 migrant workers from Bihar and 1,343 of Madhya Pradesh, stranded in Haryana due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, were sent to their respective states by three ‘shramik’ trains on Thursday.

Chief Minister ML Khattar said over 1,200 migrant workers were sent from Ambala Cantt by a special train to Katihar in Bihar. Similarly, another special Shramik train departed from Hisar carrying 1,200 workers to Muzaffarpur. As per an official statement, Khattar said that during their journey, the workers will be provided with food by the Railways in Delhi.

Along with this, soap and sanitizers have been kept in all the coaches of the train. He also said six women passengers and children in the train were given soft toys, biscuits and chocolates.

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Another special ‘shramik’ train departed for Sagar in Madhya Pradesh from Rewari Junction, carrying 1,343 migrant labourers. He said food packets, water bottles, masks and sanitizers were also provided to these migrant labourers by the state government and biscuits were also provided to the children who were with the returning workers labourers. Health check-ups of all these returning workers were conducted and food and water was given to them after sanitizing their hands.

The first Shramik Special train from Haryana carrying 1,200 migrant workers, who were stranded in the state due to the coronavirus-led lockdown, had left for Katihar in Bihar from Hisar railway station on Wednesday. The Haryana government has made arrangements to send stranded migrants to their home states as per the Central government guidelines.

Chief Minister Khattar had earlier said that migrant workers, stranded in Haryana, would be sent back to their homes in a safe and systematic manner. The Haryana government has also launched a web portal where migrant workers in the state who want to return to their native places can register themselves.

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