The Telangana government said that over 1.5 lakh migrant workers have been sent to their home states during the COVID-19 lockdown with the help of over 120 special trains arranged for them.
On Saturday alone, the state government said that it sent 41 trains, thereby increasing the tally from 1.22 lakh migrant workers in 88 trains as of Friday night.
Taking to Twitter, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Arvind Kumar said, “As per Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s instructions, Telangana has sent today, at its cost, 41 trains – largest for any day, enabling over 56,000 people to travel to their native places, making it over 120 trains for 1.5 lakh people so far!”
As per CM’s instructions, #Telangana has sent today, at its cost, 41 trains - largest for any day, enabling >56000 people to travel to their native places, making it >120 trains for 1.5 L people thus far!
— Arvind Kumar (@arvindkumar_ias) May 23, 2020
Amazing planning by min @KTRTRS, CS Somesh sir, DGP sir & entire team ! pic.twitter.com/xOnJvI1yW4
Speaking to reporters at Hyderabad’s Nampally Railway Station after flagging off two trains carrying migrant workers on Saturday, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said that another six trains were leaving from Nampally for different destinations like Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Stating that another 40 trains were leaving from other stations for different states, he said that all trains would leave by midnight on Saturday. Around 50,000 workers began their journey to different destinations on Saturday alone, an official release quoted him as saying.
The Railways provided food to the migrant workers and the state government arranged two food packets, three litres of drinking water and fruit for each migrant worker, the release added.
The Chief Secretary said that most of the migrant workers who registered with the state government (to leave for their hometowns) left by Saturday and that most of them have expressed a desire to come back to the state again.
Sri Somesh Kumar,IAS., Chief Secretary to Govt. flagged off Train carrying migrant workers at Nampally Railway Station. pic.twitter.com/zsVDalhryE
— IPRDepartment (@IPRTelangana) May 23, 2020
He congratulated the police and other officials for effective coordination and monitoring of such a stupendous task.
Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Mahendar Reddy observed that the migrant workers are a part of the state’s development process.
Earlier this week, KCR directed officials “to ensure that no migrant worker experiences the unfortunate situation of walking back to his native place”.
He appealed to migrant workers not to resort to walking, as the state government would take the responsibility of transporting them to their home states.
This came after media reports highlighted that a large number of workers were gathering beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Hyderabad at Medchal and paying truck drivers to ferry them home. Those who couldn’t afford to pay the truck drivers were setting off to their destinations on foot.
Read:
With PTI inputs