First batch of Bihar migrants reaches state, laud govt effort

Migrants on board the special train reached an unusually clean Danapur Railway Station, with a large number of security personnel and health staff deputed at the

Migrants on board the special train reached an unusually clean Danapur Railway Station, with a large number of security personnel and health staff deputed at the station, on Saturday afternoon. Each seat had just one passenger to maintain social distancing.

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Labourers, mostly from north Bihar and engaged in various kinds of work at Nagaur district of Rajasthan, were brought in the 24-coach long train. Soon after they alighted, along with women and children, they were taken for health screening. Sanitised buses were also kept ready to transport the migrants to different destinations.

However, some of them seemed upset as they got to know about the 21-day mandatory quarantine, for which the Bihar government has made elaborate arrangements to prevent the spread of infection.

“In that case, it was not bad that we were not stuck there,” said Vaishali district’s Ramchandra Sahni. From Vaishali, a group of 30 persons worked in Rajasthan.

The passenger said that before boarding the train, all of them were medically examined and also issued certificates. However, a common complaint was that none of them received Rs 1,000 in relief money in their bank accounts that the Bihar government had announced.

“We did not have any money. We were not even paid salary of two months. As there was no work, we could not stay there. Even for milk for children, we needed money. After this experience, we will think hard if we should even go back to work even after the situation becomes normal. If we get employed here, there is no question of going anywhere,” said Rakesh Kumar of Madhepura.

Harun Kunar from Jokihat in Araria district, “I am very happy. I don’t have words to express my delight. We were given proper food there and also in the train,”, adding that he always believed that he would return home.

Pachrukhi Devi , Suresh Das, Raj Kishore Das and others of Begusarai, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ashok Gehlot government for their safe return, said, “We have no words to express our delight”.

Ravindra Thakur of Saharsa said that he had to pay Rs 390 for the journey. Phul Kumari, also from Saharsa, travelled with her two kids. “We were taken to Jaipur railway station by bus and were handed over the train tickets. There was no inconvenience,” she added.

Tetri Devi from Purnia, accompanied by her three children and husband, said that food was also served in the train at Jaipur and Mughalsarai. Dinesh Thakur, a barber from Begusarai, said that people go outside the state to earn livelihood. “In one room, 10-15 persons live to save money for their family. But after lockdown, everything stopped and there was no reason to stay there,” he added.