E-Paper
After month’s wait, migrants in Haryana finally on way home
Hundreds of migrant labourers staying in shelter homes in Haryana can finally heave a sigh of relief as the state government has made arrangements to send them to
Hundreds of migrant labourers staying in shelter homes in Haryana can finally heave a sigh of relief as the state government has made arrangements to send them to their native places in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
As per information, around 1,000 migrant labourers are camping in shelter homes in Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat districts since March 28, when the state sealed its borders amid the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
On Saturday, around 400 migrants were sent home from Yamunanagar in 20 Haryana Roadways buses. “We have been given five locations in Uttar Pradesh-- Baghpat, Saharanpur, Shamli, Mathura and Bulandshahr--- where these labourers are to be dropped. From these places, the Uttar Pradesh government will make arrangements to drop them home,” said Yamunanagar district revenue officer Asbhishek Kumar.
From Karnal, as many as 262 migrants were sent to home in 10 roadways buses, as per Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav. He said 550 labourers are now left, and they too will be sent home soon.
Panipat DC Hema Sharma said, “Some labourers have already been sent and we are making arrangements to others too as per the government’s directions.”
The officials said that special care was taken to ensure social distancing and only 30 migrants were taken on the 52-seater buses. Further, all of them were medically examined fore departure and they will also be quarantined for 14 days after they reach home.
As per information, there are around 15,200 migrant labourers in shelter homes across the state and most of them hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They were stopped by the state police when they were trying to cross the border and sent to these shelter homes. The government had arranged food and shelter for them and even asked the administrations to allow them to work as labourers if they want to, but most of them refused and urged the government to send them home.
