Centre writes to states to ensure workers use special trains/buses

Guwahati: Hours after Centre wrote to all states/UTs to facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places, through buses and ‘Shramik’ special trains being run by the government specifically for this purpose, on Saturday morning, two trucks collided in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya killing at least 24 migrant labourers who were headed home.

The letter addressed to the chief secretaries, highlighted how despite the special provisions arranged, migrant workers are walking on the roads and on railway tracks. It advised that such worker are found, then, “They should be appropriately counselled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food, water, etc. till they are facilitated to board the ‘Shramik’ special trains or buses to their native places.”

The communication added that railways is running more than 100 ‘Shramik’ special trains per day and is ready to arrange additional trains, as per requirement. People need to be made aware about these arrangements and counselled by state/UT governments to not travel on foot, when they can travel in buses/trains being especially run by the government to facilitate their journey.

In the wee hours of Saturday a truck with migrant workers from Rajasthan, on their way to their villages in Bihar, Jharkhand etc. collided with another in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya. According to reports, at least 24 people were brought dead, and several were critically injured.

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UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss of lives due to the road accident in Auraiya.

This is not an isolated incident where migrants have been killed attempting to get home amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Hours after the Saturday morning incident, 5 migrant workers, who were going to Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra, were killed and 19 others injured when the truck carrying them overturned in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.

Also Read: Lockdown: 24 migrants killed as 2 trucks collide in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier this month, 16 migrant workers from a group of 20 were killed after a cargo train ran over them while they were sleeping on the tracks in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad.