Telangana: Migrant workers gather at Warangal railway station, demand help to return home

After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed the movement of stranded migrants, a large number of migrant workers gathered at the Warangal railway station in Telangana on Saturday, staging a dharna and demanding to be sent back to their respective states.

"I am from Uttar Pradesh. There are 500 migrants who are daily wage labourers who sell ice cream and pani puri, we are not getting any work nor food to eat or any government facilities. We request UP CM Yogi Ji to help us get back to our State. We are stuck in the Warangal District," said Rajpal, a migrant worker to news agency ANI. 

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Another migrant from Bihar, Pintu said that he has been working in Warangal district, in a mill for three to four months. "I am starving, I do not even have money to buy food. I request the Government here to help us and send us back to Bihar. If we continue to stay here we may die due to hunger," said Pintu. 

Migrant worker Subash Mahadev who hails from Maharashtra's Gadchiroli stated that if the Government wanted to sent them back, they should do so immediately. Another migrant, Pavan from Rajasthan expressed his ordeal saying that all shops are closed here and he wants to return to his home state immediately.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, around 300 migrant workers from Hyderabad's Hakimpet started moving in large numbers towards the railway station as they assumed the resumption of the train services. However, the police stopped them and they were sent back.

Centre allows movement of stranded migrants

The MHA on Wednesday had permitted the inter-state movement of stranded persons in the country. This move will help migrant workers, students, pilgrims, tourists who have been stranded in different parts of India to return to their home state. While buses will be used for the transportation of the persons, they will be allowed to proceed only after being medically screened and undergoing 14-day quarantine in institutional facilities or home-quarantine.

(With Agency Inputs)

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