TUMAKURU: A number of construction workers left the locked down Bengaluru and surrounding places hoping to go to their native places, mostly in North Karnataka, only to end up at Tavarekere near Sira on NH-48, from where the police took them and put them in nearby hostels. As many as 316 were rehabilitated in the SC/ST hostel on Saturday.

“The two-block hostel can accommodate a maximum of 200 people, but the situation is such that 300-odd people have been sheltered here,” an official told TNIE at the spot.“The PSI who stopped us when we were en route to our native promised us that she would help send us to our homes. She instead sent us here in three buses. The place is not livable as there are only two blocks of ten toilets,” rued Nagaraj, a construction labourer.

The exercise is because one death and one positive case was reported from the region. Police went on to seize the luggage carriers they were travelling in. “Instead of shifting us here, the administration should have helped us reach our villages,” said a woman who also complained of the lack of hygiene.

That three of the women are pregnant has made things even more sensitive. Circle Inspector Parvathamma impressed upon them that they cannot move out of the facility as district to district movement is restricted.
“We will shift the three pregnant women to the district general hospital. Food and milk will be supplied to all the inmates and social distancing maintained,” claimed Tahsildar Mohan.