Migrants throng at Ramlila Ground for registration, social-distancing norms go for a toss

GHAZIABAD : Thousands of migrant workers from Ghaziabad and adjoining areas throng at Ramleela Ground and Morta area in Ghaziabad on Monday morning for registration to get on a train or bus for their home district.

Initially the situation went out of control as the crowd was massive and social distancing was no where to be followed. However, heavy police force was pressed into action to ensure that queues could be maintained for smooth functioning while district administration swung into action and arranged transportation for most of them.

As per officials of district administration, nearly 9,000 migrants were transported to their home district from Ghaziabad on Monday through trains and buses.

“On Monday, nearly 6,000 migrants were sent to Bihar through trains from Ghaziabad railway station while around 3,000 who turned up at Ramleela Maidan on Monday and belonged to various districts from eastern Uttar Pradesh were sent to their homes through trains and roadways buses,” Ajay

Shankar Pandey, District Magistrate of Ghaziabad told the Millennium Post.

The officer further said that nearly 24,000 workers from Bihar have till now registered with Ghaziabad administration seeking transportation to their home district.

“We are sending them SMS and making phone calls and they get short-listed. Services of trains and roadways buses will continue to accommodate them daily. Administration teams are mulling hard to help them in the process of registration and are also looking after thousands of these migrants at our shelter homes,” the DM added.

Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad Police got 32 buses (12 for rural and 20 for city areas) for migrants who are walking on the roads to take them to shelter homes. SSP Ghaziabad has also issued a show cause notice to SHO Sahibabad police stations after migrants were spotted moving on foot in Sahibabad on Sunday.

“From Tuesday onwards, registration will not take place in Ramleela Ground and people will be collected from their shelter homes for the railway station. If any workers whose registration has not been take place and he found walking on roads then he will be booked by cops under Section 188 (violation of lockdown),” said Kalanidhi Naithani, Senior Superintendent of Ghaziabad Police.