PCMC police facilitated the return of 52,805 migrant workers

The migrant workers at different labour camps and construction sites were registered online after completion and verification of their documents

The Pimpri-Chinchwad commissionerate has facilitated the return of 52,805 migrant labourers by railways and buses to their respective states during the lockdown period. The Pimpri-Chinchwad police ensured that their travel was hassle-free and provided them with ration kits, food, water and other essentials. Also, the commissionerate ranks amongst the least infected commissionerates in the state of Maharashtra as currently only three of its employees are infected and undergoing treatment.

Migrants headed to their homes in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, at the State Transport depot in Wakdewadi in Pune, Maharashtra, on June 26, 2020. (HT Photo)

Earlier, 14 staffers were infected with Covid-19 and all have been cured during the lockdown period. Also, the police seized a maximum number of vehicles during lockdown period to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the area.

PCMC police commissioner Sandeep Bishnoi said that the police did their level best to facilitate the return of the migrant labourers to their hometowns and help them board special trains and obtain e-passes for those who opted to go by buses.

According to Bishnoi, the labourers scattered across the length and breadth of the city were brought to the railway station and bus embarkation points under the assigned officers through meticulous planning and coordination for their smooth movement. A major chunk of them were from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh

The migrant workers at different labour camps and construction sites were registered online after completion and verification of their documents. The special planning took place under the direct supervision of commissioner Bishnoi and nodal officers were assigned to execute the task with precision and in a time-bound manner. Buses were provided by the PCMC and police personnel escorted the labourers from their spot of residence to the railway station and bus stop.

The police officials listed each of the passengers for each of the train and their details according to the official format.

Explaining the details behind the few infections in the PCMC police force, Bishnoi said “We ensured that all the policemen were tested and screened in the very beginning which led us to get a grip over the situation. Special focus was given to policemen who were over fifty years in age and those with ailments like hypertension. Our infection rate is very low and PCMC police rank amongst the least infected police force in the state of Maharashtra,” he said.