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Fearing lockdown, migrants start returning home, no jobs in hand
PATNA/Muzaffarpur After a gap of several months, migrant labourers returning to their native villages from states like Maharashtra, Punjab and New Delhi amid fears of another nationwide lockdown and job losses has once again become a common sight at railway stations across Bihar
PATNA/Muzaffarpur
After a gap of several months, migrant labourers returning to their native villages from states like Maharashtra, Punjab and New Delhi amid fears of another nationwide lockdown and job losses has once again become a common sight at railway stations across Bihar.
Nripendra Kumar (50), living in Mumbai for over two decades, returned to his native village Jaffarpur in Purnea district on Friday after the sudden alarming spread of coronavirus in Mumbai. “I was left unemployed, with nothing to sustain there.”
“I, my wife and a 20-year-old son returned by special train. At Katihar junction, we underwent rapid antigen tests and were negative luckily,” Kumar said.
Similar is the scene in Muzaffarpur.
Rohit Kumar (35), who managed to get a job in Mumbai after a lot of difficulties in January this year, too returned by a special train on Saturday evening. “I had lost my job at Mumbai last year due to the lockdown. I again managed to get one this year, but announcement of night curfew by the Maharashtra government reminded me of the problems last year, when I and my family members had virtually reached the stage of starvation. I didn’t want this happen again. So, I have decided to return well in time,” Kumar says, adding that he would now look for a job at his native place.
Md Shamim, who had planned to join work as a foreman at an industrial unit Devas in Madhya Pradesh, has got his train ticket cancelled. “I have now discarded the idea and would like to stay here,” he said.
Raju Kumar, who used to sell Pav Bhaji at a roadside stall in Ludhiana, says he doesn’t want to walk back home on foot like the last year. “So I caught a Jainagar-bound train to reach Muzaffarpur on Friday. I am happy to be here,” he says.
No registration this time
Unlike last year, when there was a heavy inflow of migrant returnees, the state government this time has not issued any guidelines for the registration of migrants returning to their villages for alternative employment.
Muzaffarpur’s district magistrate Pranav Kumar said any registration for returnees would only be started after getting directions from the state headquarter.
Katihar DM Udyan Mishra said though there was no registration camp this time, the administration kept details of returnees since they were being tested for Covid-19. “Those testing positive are either sent to isolation centres or they are home quarantined with medicines and they are under constant medical observation,” he said.
Food security
“We have not started any special drive for providing foodgrains to migrant returnees so far. Last year, foodgrains were given free under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana from April to November,” said Vinay Kumar, secretary, food and consumer protection department.
He said the state government had already added 23.89 lakh ration cards last year, including of migrant returnees, giving coverage to one crore people under the national food security programme. “We have enough foodgrains for providing subsidized ration to all 8.50 crore people covered under the act,” he said.
