Over 1 lakh migrants sent home on 59 trains in 12 days
NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has ensured the safe return of over one lakh migrant labourers and their families to their home towns, in the last 12 days. In all, 59 Shramik Special trains, bound for various states, departed from different railway stations during their period.
Gautam Budh Nagar police commissioner Alok Singh said till Wednesday, 80,200 migrant labourers working in the district have been safely sent to their respective home towns in Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
“Besides them, around 20,000 minors have also gone home with their parents and relatives. We ensured their safe departure on 59 trains, bound to different places in these states,” he said.
The police chief further said around 25,000 migrant workers, who hailed from Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and were working in the district, have also been sent by buses to their native places. “We used advanced appbased technology to create a database of these workers and their families. After getting a requisition from them, each one of them was sent messages on their mobiles confirming them a seat on the train and mentioning the departure station, train name and destination,” he said.
Singh also said to ensure that these workers reached stations on time, the administration arranged buses from 12 different locations in Noida and Greater Noida. “One person was assigned to oversee passengers in each train coach and that person had to prepare the full details of passengers in that coach. The database had also been sent to the district administration of the destinations of these trains. It will help them to locate everyone, and track the contact list of any passenger found Covid-19 positive,” he said.
He also said before boarding, every passenger was screened and sanitized. “The passengers were also been provided meals and drinking water for their trips. The railways have extended their full support, and will provide additional trains if required,” he said.
Singh also said around 16,000 more workers are registered to return to their villages. “But, with the resumption of commercial activities in the district, which have provided many with job opportunities again, most of them are now not willing to go back. This is a good sign from the viewpoint of the economic development of the district, which had come to a standstill for almost two months. We, however, are contacting each of them. If they would like to go, the trains are ready to take them to their desired destinations. One train can cater to around 2,000 passengers,” the police chief said.