36 J’khand tribal women stranded in TN return home

Thirty-six tribal women from Jharkhand, who were stranded in Tamil Nadu due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the southern state, returned to their home district of Dumka on Friday with the help of the state government, a senior official said.

The women, hailing from remote areas of the Dumka district, used to work in textile firms in Tamil Nadu. However, many of them lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 and were stranded there with no means to return home.

Speaking on the issue, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “The state government is committed to ensuring the safety and honour of Jharkhand’s workers across the country and even abroad.”

Dumka Deputy Commissioner Rajeshwari B said, “As soon as we got information about tribal migrant workers from our district getting stranded in Tirupur, we ensured their return with the help of the Chief Minister’s Office and non-profit organisations. The women have reached Dhanbad and are on their way to Dumka.” Dhanbad district transport officer (DTO) Om Prakash, said, after conducting COVID-19 test, they were served food packet and sent to Dumka by three special buses.

The women said they had been working in a factory in Tirupur for last three months. They got stranded after the factory closed 15 days ago due to lockdown.

The women said they did not face any problem for food or residence. “Since there was no worth in staying after losing job, we decided to return and will then go back to work in Tamil Nadu,” one of them said.