Rajasthan labourers entering state without screening

TNN | Updated: May 4, 2020, 11:41 IST

Migrants waiting to register themselves to travel to their native places in Ajmer on Saturday

JAIPUR: Migrant workers are entering Rajasthan from Gujarat without screening or registration, causing concern for district administrations of Dungarpur, Pali and Sirohi.
Long queues at border checkpoints and the fear of quarantine are forcing migrants take alternate routes into the state via villages, forests and farmlands along the border.
On record, officials have refused to admit that even a single migrant worker has entered the state without proper screening and registration.
But on condition of anonymity, they have expressed concerns that hundreds of migrant workers may have already crossed the border from various Covid-19 hotspots such as Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot.
“As most of them are locals, they’re not facing objection from villagers,” said a government official.
“As most of them are locals, they’re not facing objection from villagers,” said a government official.
Dungarpur district collector Kanha Ram told TOI that they have checkposts at all 15 entry points to ensure that no migrant worker comes into the state without screening.
“If any worker manages to get through without any screening, we have mobile teams to screen them at their locations,” said Ram.
Ratanpur border has become the focal point of migrant crisis in the state. Over the last five days, 36,000 migrant workers have been screened and registered and allowed to enter the state through this border.
Officials are expecting the figure to cross close to two lakh in the coming days as migrants from different parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh head towards Ratanpur border.