Migrants from the state heading back to Gujarat for better remuneration
LUCKNOW: Low remuneration and exploitation were the reasons migrants onboard the Surat bound (09040) Muzaffarpur Bandra Terminus Avadh Covid-19 Special cited when asked about their journey back to work in Gujarat, instead of staying back in their home state Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Some also said that they didn’t see their future in UP, hence they wanted to resume their jobs to save their family from penury. “Who wants to leave one’s native place? It’s need that forces you to migrate. The family needs forced me to move out to another state for work,” said Irshad Alam, a native of Siddartha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) who was on his way to Surat via Muzaffarpur Bandra Terminus Avadh Covid-19 Special train on June 8.
Alam, who works in a sofa manufacturing unit in Surat, said he never wanted to leave UP where he was born, brought up and leant the art of sofa making.
“But after working for almost 4 years, I found myself nowhere since the remuneration was too low. I used to get Rs 50 for almost 8 hours of hard work a day. Then I met a relative who was a carpenter in Surat for which he got a decent amount. Hence I decided to work in Surat,” said Alam.
“There I get Rs 400 a day plus accommodation and food, which is too much compared to what people get in UP,” he added.
Another migrant Raghuraj
Singh from Devari village of Kasganj district, who works in a brick kiln in Gujarat said, “Working conditions in Gujarat are good. I came here (UP) on May 19 via Shramik Special Train. Since then I didn’t get any work. Though district administrative officials approached me and assured job, nothing has happened so far. So I am going back to work in Gujarat.”
Similarly, some other migrants who were onboard a;sp too cited poor pay as the main reason behind heading back to Gujarat, from where hundreds of migrants were brought by the UP government during lockdown in a special exercise.
This is perhaps for the same reason why the occupancy rate of passengers in Gujarat bound train is gaining pace gradually.
Presently, there are around 6 prime Covid Special trains which connect UP to Gujarat. (09090) Gorakhpur to Ahmedabad Gorakhpur Ahmedabad SF Special, which terminates at Ahmedabad.
(09038) Gorakhpur Bandra Terminus Avadh which originates from Gorakhpur and terminates at Mumbai Bandra Terminus via Surat. (09040).
The Muzaffarpur Bandra Terminus is another most preferred train which originates from Muzaffarpur junction and terminates at Mumbai Bandra Terminus via Surat.
Other than this (09166) Darbhanga Ahmedabad Sabarmati and (09168) Varanasi Ahmedabad Sabarmati are other trains which connect UP to Gujarat.
Pankaj Kumar Singh, chief public relation officer (CPRO),
NE Railways said the train operations were gradually returning to normal.
“The train operations to several destinations, including Gujarat, started in June after the Railway Board’s decision of starting several pairs of Covid Special trains.”
While highlighting the occupancy ratio in a few of the preferred trains to Gujarat, Singh said the Gorakhpur Ahmedabad SF Special resumed operation on June 3.
On the first day, 813 passengers board from Gorakhpur, on June 4, 651 passengers boarded and on June 5 around 569 passengers boarded the train. Similarly, 179 passengers boarded another train from Chhapra to Surat on June 3 and on June 4 around 122 passengers boarded the train.