Migrants block Ludhiana-Delhi highway, police use force
LUDHIANA: Around 250 migrant labourers blocked the Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway near Kakowal Road here on Tuesday alleging inadequate arrangements for their journey back to their native places.
The blockade started at around 11am and continued for at least one hour before the police reached the spot and dispersed the protesters using mild force.
Some protesters also alleged that the police personnel are demanding Rs 500 as bribe for allowing them to board the special trains run by the government for their departure.
A labourer said that they have no work due to the lockdown and are left with no money. The administration is not making adequate arrangements to send them back, he added.
Another labourer said he reached the railway station to board the train but the police personnel did not allow him to board it, saying it is already full. “I had my booking confirmed but was not allowed to go.”
ADCP Gurpreet Singh Sikand said the agitators were from Kishanganj and Araria districts of Bihar. They were demanding special trains for their home districts. “We have conveyed their demand to the senior officials.” To a question, the ADCP said the police did not use any force against the labourers. They fled after seeing the police vehicles, he added.
On May 3, around 250 migrant labourers had gathered on the national highway near Dhandari and blocked the road for around 20 minutes.
75,000 HAVE LEFT FOR HOME STATES FROM FEROZEPUR DIVISION
As many as 63 Shramik Special Trains have ferried 75,000 migrants from three stations of Ferozepur divison to their native states so far.
On Tuesday, a total of 13 such trains departed from Ludhiana,
Jalandhar and Amritsar railway stations. Of these, six trains carrying around 1,200 migrants each, left from Ludhiana, while five trains departed from Jalandhar and two from Amritsar.
Divisional railway manager (DRM) Rajesh Agarwal informed that as of now, 41 trains have left for Uttar Pradesh; 15 for Bihar; four for Jharkhand; two for Madhya Pradesh; and one for Chhattisgarh. More such trains will run in coming days, he added.
6TH SPL TRAIN LEAVES MOHALI FOR CHHAPRA
Meanwhile, the sixth special train left the Mohali railway station for Chhapra in Bihar carrying 1,201 migrant workers.
The migrants were taken to the railway station in buses from eight collection centres where they were first screened.
The district administration provided packed food and water bottles to the migrants, besides distributing chocolates among their children.
Also, seven buses left from Mohali on Tuesday carrying 160 students to Jammu and Ladakh. Six of these buses left for Jammu and one for Ladakh.