No money, hotel bills pile up as 33 West Bengal tourists remain stranded for over a month in Amritsar

Rejected district administration’s offer to put them up in a government shelter home, surviving on langars at Durgiana and Golden temples

They came to Amritsar on March 21, all the way from Bankura in West Bengal to pay obeisance at Harmandir Sahib, but then as India was put under lockdown to prevent the transmission of Covid-19, all 33 members of a tourist group were stranded, slowly growing desperate as the hotel bills piled up and money ran out.

Living in the hotel where they have hired 10 rooms, the tourists earlier paid Rs 600 per room, which has now been reduced to Rs 200 by their hotel. (HT PHOTO)

It’s been well over a month now and they have been unable to go home.

“Nine families, all 33 of us, were so happy when we reached Amritsar on March 21 for a week’s holiday. However, the lockdown from March 24 ruined our holiday and we have been stranded here since then, not knowing what to do, says Swarup Ranjan Saha, a member of the group who works in the railways.

Living in the hotel where they have hired 10 rooms, the tourists earlier paid Rs 600 per room, which has now been reduced to Rs 200 by their hotel. “Since there are 12 children in the group, we’re having a hard time getting meals from them,” Saha adds.

The tourists hope the Punjab government, which has started sending back groups of migrants back to their towns and villages, will help them too.

For food, they say they are dependent on langars (community meals) at Durgiana and Golden temples. “We are still paying the hotel and buying essential items. All of us, including the children, are healthy and fit and do not suffer from any Covid-19 symptoms,” says Sabyasachi Ghosh, another group member. No one, however, has been screened for the virus, he adds.

Registered with admin

The group has reached out to the police and district administration and has been guided by them to get registered with the administration as stranded people who want to return home. “Nothing has been done so far. Since the government is making efforts to send migrant labourers home, they should also make arrangements to send us back to West Bengal,” demands Ghosh.

In what could give them hope, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Himanshu Aggarwal says, “Since the Punjab government has scheduled trains to ferry stranded people in various states, we have also sent a proposal to start a train from Punjab to Howrah district in West Bengal. Once approved, we will send them back home on priority.”

Aggarwal said the administration was constantly in touch with them and helping out wherever possible. An offer had also been made to them to stay in government shelter homes, which had been rejected by the group members, he added.