Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday appealed to stranded migrant workers to stay wherever they are. Chouhan’s comments came hours after 16 migrants who were sleeping on railway tracks were run over by a train in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad.
“I will like to make an appeal to all the labourers stranded in other states to stay where they are. The state government is making all arrangements to bring them back. The process is going on in full swing and we will accomplish the mission with support of railways. About 80,000 labourers have been brought back,” said Chouhan.
Having walked several kilometres, the labourers sat down for rest on the tracks and then fell asleep. Soon after a goods train ran over them.
The accident took place between Jalna and Aurangabad in the Nanded Division of South Central Railway.
The Railways have ordered an inquiry into the incident after CM Chouhan dialled minister Piyush Goyal seeking a probe.
The labourers who were killed in the accident belonged to Shahdol and Umaria districts in Madhya Pradesh, said police.
{{/usCountry}}The labourers who were killed in the accident belonged to Shahdol and Umaria districts in Madhya Pradesh, said police.
{{/usCountry}}The authorities are trying to verify the identity of each and every labourer, said Superintendent of police, Shahdol, Satyendra Shukla.
Twelve among those who were identified are: Achchhelal Kachhi, Ajit Jeevan Singh, Brijgendra Singh, Muneem Singh and Nemshah Singh, all residents of Umaria district; Suresh Kol, Dharmendra Singh, Brajesh Gond, Rajbaba Horan Singh, Brajesh Singh and Shivdayal Gajraj Singh from Shahdol district; and Indrakumar Mauryaveer, a resident of Katni district in Madhya Pradesh.
A police officer said the labourers worked in a steel plant in Jalna district. They left Jalna at 7 pm on Thursday and walked on the road to Badnapore. Later they started walking along the railway tracks, he added.
“As they got tired having walked about 36 kilometres, they sat on the railway track to have some rest. Later, they fell asleep on the tracks when the train ran over them,” said the officer.
CM Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh each to next to the kin of the deceased.
“A team of high ranking officials from Madhya will fly to Aurangabad in a special plane. The team will make all arrangements for last rites of the labourers and treatment of the injured,” said Chouhan.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sought answers from the state government over the tragedy.
“Did the Madhya Pradesh government have the labourers registered? If registration was done, what were arrangements made by the state government to bring them back? The government should feel ashamed. Instead of issuing statements, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should do something for the labourers,” said Singh.
(With input from Monika Pandey in Jabalpur)