PATNA: Migrant workers from Bihar heaved a sigh of relief after the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday allowed interstate movement of stranded people amid the lockdown.
Mandev Tiwari (45), who along with wife and three children, is stranded in Noida Sector 5, said he would leave for his Harpur Sasamusa village in Gopalganj district. But he is clueless about expenses. “We have no money left. I don’t know how will we reach home, he said. His wife Sudha Devi said the family did not receive any help from the Bihar government.
Md Azmat (49) from Nizamuddin in New Delhi said he was very excited over the Centre’s decision. “Now we will return home at Tulsibari in Madhepura district.
Majority of the migrant workers would need government support to reach home. “Bihar government should initiate immediate steps to bring back stranded people,” said Abhinandan Giri (55), who along with 30-odd migrant workers is stranded at Phagwara in Punjab.
Sanjay Rishidev, Tapeshwar Rai and Chandan Rai echoed similar views.
State labour resources department minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said CM Nitish Kumar will decide the way how to bring back migrant workers and students willing to come back.
“Their number is huge, but they have to be brought back to the state. But care must be taken that they do not add to the figures of Covid-19 patients in Bihar,” Sinha said.
The labour department sources said at least 27.17 lakh migrants workers are outside the state based on the online applications received for Rs1,000 assistance under CM special assistance programme. Of them, 17.10 lakh claimants had been paid the special assistance sought. Sources said around 1.80 lakh migrant workers have already returned home.
They also said the number of migrant workers anxious to return might fall as efforts to open industries and start works in their places of stay had started yielding results. “Many workers might like to stay back,” they said, adding: “Some online mechanism has to be soon applied to register the names of those willing to return home at this stage. It would also fit in with the guidelines issued by the Centre on Wednesday.”
Mandev Tiwari (45), who along with wife and three children, is stranded in Noida Sector 5, said he would leave for his Harpur Sasamusa village in Gopalganj district. But he is clueless about expenses. “We have no money left. I don’t know how will we reach home, he said. His wife Sudha Devi said the family did not receive any help from the Bihar government.
Md Azmat (49) from Nizamuddin in New Delhi said he was very excited over the Centre’s decision. “Now we will return home at Tulsibari in Madhepura district.
Majority of the migrant workers would need government support to reach home. “Bihar government should initiate immediate steps to bring back stranded people,” said Abhinandan Giri (55), who along with 30-odd migrant workers is stranded at Phagwara in Punjab.
Sanjay Rishidev, Tapeshwar Rai and Chandan Rai echoed similar views.
State labour resources department minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said CM Nitish Kumar will decide the way how to bring back migrant workers and students willing to come back.
“Their number is huge, but they have to be brought back to the state. But care must be taken that they do not add to the figures of Covid-19 patients in Bihar,” Sinha said.
The labour department sources said at least 27.17 lakh migrants workers are outside the state based on the online applications received for Rs1,000 assistance under CM special assistance programme. Of them, 17.10 lakh claimants had been paid the special assistance sought. Sources said around 1.80 lakh migrant workers have already returned home.
They also said the number of migrant workers anxious to return might fall as efforts to open industries and start works in their places of stay had started yielding results. “Many workers might like to stay back,” they said, adding: “Some online mechanism has to be soon applied to register the names of those willing to return home at this stage. It would also fit in with the guidelines issued by the Centre on Wednesday.”
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