PATNA: Around 2,300 people, mostly migrant workers, reached Danapur station in Patna aboard two Shramik Special trains from Kerala on Monday afternoon.
The two trains — Ernakulam-Danapur Shramik Special (06079) and Thrissur- Danapur Shramik Special (06080) —covered the 2,600km journey from the country’s southernmost state in two days. The trains, which were scheduled to arrive at 3pm and 3.30pm respectively, reached two hours late.
The Patna district authorities, the East Central Railways (ECR), the health department as well as transport department officials were on their toes for hours to receive the passengers and carry out all necessary screening procedures as mandated by the Centre’s order issued last week allowing inter-state transportation of stranded people.
Altogether 24 screening kiosks for each of the 24 coaches were set up by the health department on platform number-1 for screening of passengers, Patna civil surgeon Raj Kishor Chaudhary told TOI. “Screening was done at the originating station as well and only asymptomatic persons were allowed to board the train. Each passenger has been screened here as well and quarantine stamp has been put on their hands. They will be in quarantine centres in their respective block headquarters for 21 days,” Chaudhary said.
Patna DM Kumar Ravi said the transport department arranged more than 100 buses to ferry the passengers. “Most passengers belong to Araria, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, Nawada, Muzaffarpur and Jamui among others. Each bus will be escorted by a team comprising a judicial magistrate accompanied by police personnel,” Ravi said.
At the station, the passengers were made to form a queue on the platform while maintain social distancing. Announcements were made continuously guiding them to board the buses for their respective districts after screening.
Most passengers said they were laborers, masons, technicians and had small amounts with them out of which they had paid Rs910 for boarding the train. Many of them also claimed that they got food in the train only twice a day and were not given sufficient drinking water as well.
Muzaffar (27) from Araria was the first passenger to come out of the Danapur station building. “I worked as a construction labourer in Kerala. I was fortunate enough that my contractor used to give us some amount every week with which we used to manage our food. I paid Rs910 before boarding the train,” he said.
Similarly, 14-year-old Md Salim from Purnia, who was staying with his uncle at Mamallapuram as his father had returned a few days before the lockdown was enforced. “I can’t wait to see my Ammi (mother) and Abbu (father),” he said.
Another passenger Lallan Kumar Singh, a furniture-maker from Madhubani, said he had only Rs500 left last Friday and had to borrow Rs2,000 from one of his local co- workers at Kirrur before boarding the train. “I don’t know how I would have survived If I would have stayed back even a couple of days more,” he said.
But Danapur DRM Sunil Kumar claimed that the railways did not charge any fare from the passengers. “Shramik special trains are not running for commercial purpose, thus railways is not charging any money for it. The trains are being run based on requisitions being made by state governments and railways is not asking for charges either from the passengers or the state government,” he said.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi told TOI that the state government will reimburse whatever money was charged from stranded passengers for boarding the special trains. “An additional amount of Rs500 will also be given to them, once they come out of the quarantine centres,” he said.
In Video:Two special trains from Kerala bring back 2,300 migrant workers to Patna
The two trains — Ernakulam-Danapur Shramik Special (06079) and Thrissur- Danapur Shramik Special (06080) —covered the 2,600km journey from the country’s southernmost state in two days. The trains, which were scheduled to arrive at 3pm and 3.30pm respectively, reached two hours late.
The Patna district authorities, the East Central Railways (ECR), the health department as well as transport department officials were on their toes for hours to receive the passengers and carry out all necessary screening procedures as mandated by the Centre’s order issued last week allowing inter-state transportation of stranded people.
Altogether 24 screening kiosks for each of the 24 coaches were set up by the health department on platform number-1 for screening of passengers, Patna civil surgeon Raj Kishor Chaudhary told TOI. “Screening was done at the originating station as well and only asymptomatic persons were allowed to board the train. Each passenger has been screened here as well and quarantine stamp has been put on their hands. They will be in quarantine centres in their respective block headquarters for 21 days,” Chaudhary said.
Patna DM Kumar Ravi said the transport department arranged more than 100 buses to ferry the passengers. “Most passengers belong to Araria, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, Nawada, Muzaffarpur and Jamui among others. Each bus will be escorted by a team comprising a judicial magistrate accompanied by police personnel,” Ravi said.
At the station, the passengers were made to form a queue on the platform while maintain social distancing. Announcements were made continuously guiding them to board the buses for their respective districts after screening.
Most passengers said they were laborers, masons, technicians and had small amounts with them out of which they had paid Rs910 for boarding the train. Many of them also claimed that they got food in the train only twice a day and were not given sufficient drinking water as well.
Muzaffar (27) from Araria was the first passenger to come out of the Danapur station building. “I worked as a construction labourer in Kerala. I was fortunate enough that my contractor used to give us some amount every week with which we used to manage our food. I paid Rs910 before boarding the train,” he said.
Similarly, 14-year-old Md Salim from Purnia, who was staying with his uncle at Mamallapuram as his father had returned a few days before the lockdown was enforced. “I can’t wait to see my Ammi (mother) and Abbu (father),” he said.
Another passenger Lallan Kumar Singh, a furniture-maker from Madhubani, said he had only Rs500 left last Friday and had to borrow Rs2,000 from one of his local co- workers at Kirrur before boarding the train. “I don’t know how I would have survived If I would have stayed back even a couple of days more,” he said.
But Danapur DRM Sunil Kumar claimed that the railways did not charge any fare from the passengers. “Shramik special trains are not running for commercial purpose, thus railways is not charging any money for it. The trains are being run based on requisitions being made by state governments and railways is not asking for charges either from the passengers or the state government,” he said.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi told TOI that the state government will reimburse whatever money was charged from stranded passengers for boarding the special trains. “An additional amount of Rs500 will also be given to them, once they come out of the quarantine centres,” he said.
In Video:Two special trains from Kerala bring back 2,300 migrant workers to Patna
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