Even after 40 plus days of hard lockdown, it looks like Karnataka government has no plan B
HOME IS WHERE THEIR HEART IS: Thousands of workers from Bihar and Rajasthan staged a protest on Monday after they were given the run-around; there was just one train leaving B’luru today
Hardly any advance notice, hardly any trains for the masses.
About 5,000 guest workers who were sent to the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre fromFreedom Park , started coming out on to the Bengaluru - Nelamangala highway in protest on Monday. The guest workers started protesting after no one could tell them when they would board a train home. Their torturous journey home began on Sunday.
Bablu Kumar, a guest worker from Bihar said that he along with others had walked about 40 kilometres to reach the city railway station. “We stay in Jigani. On Sunday morning, we were asked to leave immediately to the railwaystation as the government was arranging trains for us to go home. Many of us, men, women and children, walked to the City railway station. On Sunday night, we were given food by some volunteers and we spent the night at the Majestic bus stand, hoping that there would be a train for us on Monday. But on Monday morning, all of us were asked to walk to Freedom Park with no information about why they were taking us to that place,” he said.
Frustrated by the lack of clarity, and being transported like cargo, the workers decided to protest and came on to the
highway.
Kumar said that until the government makes arrangements for them to start their journey, they will not move from the highway. “We will try all means to reach our homes. No matter what it takes, we will go home,” said Kumar.
A senior officer said that they are trying to bring them back to the BIEC. “We have arranged food and shelter for them but none of them is ready to listen and are asking us for immediate transport facility. All of them have registered for tickets. They have to wait their turn.”
Half-baked plans
The government announced a plan to send guest workers back home. But why didn’t they think it through? No one knows, when or where to assemble, how one must reach the designated points, or why when the IRCTC issues a ticket for Rs 855, the fare collected by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is Rs 1,000. Where does the remaining money go and to whom? And why is the BMTC issuing tickets on behalf of the railways. Does BTMC ply buses to Jaipur? No, that is the ‘arrangement’
made by the government of Karnataka. And it’s sending the guest workers on a wild goose chase.
Nirmad (24), a carpenter from Jaipur, received a sms message at 10.30 pm on Sunday that those intending to leave for Jaipur would have to reach Gate 2 at Palace Grounds on Monday morning. The ticket fare mentioned was Rs 1,000. There was no mention of how the guest workers would reach Palace Grounds. So Nirmad and his friends started walking from their homes at 2 am on Monday. After changing two buses, they reached Palace Grounds at 6.30 am, where they found over 2,000 people had already gathered.
Nirmad and his friends filled up a form with details about their Aadhaar number, number of years they were staying in Bengaluru, and information about their health – whether they had cough, fever or cold. After this they were issued tickets for Rs 1,000.
Tilak, another guest worker, says he found it difficult to rustle up Rs 1,000 because he, like many others, had no income or work for the last few weeks. “We borrowed from whomever we could. I saw some people pleading others to give them money at Palace Grounds.”
Tilak said that each of the guest workers earns about Rs 1,000 after working for six days a week. The last few weeks have been a nightmare in Bengaluru. Says Nirmad, “I will stay home for a month or two and then get back when everything is fine. If I am here, I pay money for rent, electricity and food. The cost of living here is very high, especially when we have no work and no earnings.”
Once the guest workers had paid Rs 1000, they were asked to board a BMTC bus and taken to the Chikkabanavara Railway Station.
Why BMTC is collecting train fares
A BMTC official clarified, “The Indian Railways has no system to do ticketing at camps. A portion of this money will go to the BMTC and the rest will go to the railways. This is the arrangement made by the State government.”
The officials in the transport department also said that a portion of the money should be kept aside to transport these guest workers from their homes to a common point and then to the railway station.
Bangalore Mirror tracked these labourers till they reached the railway station by 2 pm. After another round of screening, they were issued an IRCTC ticket again, for a journey from KSR Bengaluru to Jaipur, priced at Rs 855.
PC Mohan clarifies
When PC Mohan, a Bengaluru MP, was asked why there was so much confusion over transporting guest workers, he said, “We had five trains on Sunday which transported many labourers and the same is being done today. Instead of giving tickets inside the railway station, the State government has decided to do this at designated places. Also, the train ticket is not more than Rs 900, irrespective of wherever you travel to in the country. “
When asked how much money the State government would pay to the central government for transporting the guest workers, he said, “That is between the two States. We are not sure how much fare money will be deposited into the railways’ account.”
When BM contacted a senior official from the Department of Transport, he said the BMTC would have to be paid some money since they were transporting the guest workers from the camps to the railway stations. “Of course the cost will be a little higher because the buses are plying at 50 per cent people capacity.” But he had no clue about the cost.
However, the two tickets issued to the guest workers, a copy of which is with BM, shows that BMTC collected Rs 1,000 and the IRCTC gave a ticket valued at Rs 855. Where did the rest of the money go and to whom? That is the million dollar question.
Inspector injured
A police inspector attached to the Peenya police station was injured after one of the guest workers pelted stones at him. The inspector, Mudduraj had to get four stitches on his forehead. The police had gone to the spot to pacify the labourers when one of them pelted stones at the police inspector. Extra police forces have been deployed at the Bengaluru - Nelamangala highway. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister R Ashoka who visited the spot requested the protestors to return to their homes in Bengaluru as it would take time to arrange trains for them to be transported to Bihar and it required the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s consent.
About 5,000 guest workers who were sent to the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre from
Bablu Kumar, a guest worker from Bihar said that he along with others had walked about 40 kilometres to reach the city railway station. “We stay in Jigani. On Sunday morning, we were asked to leave immediately to the railway
Haiyyum, another labourer from Bihar said that at Freedom Park they were given food and told that it would take time to make arrangements for trains. Then they were taken to BIEC in buses where they were asked to wait further.
.
Frustrated by the lack of clarity, and being transported like cargo, the workers decided to protest and came on to the
highway.
Kumar said that until the government makes arrangements for them to start their journey, they will not move from the highway. “We will try all means to reach our homes. No matter what it takes, we will go home,” said Kumar.
A senior officer said that they are trying to bring them back to the BIEC. “We have arranged food and shelter for them but none of them is ready to listen and are asking us for immediate transport facility. All of them have registered for tickets. They have to wait their turn.”
.
Half-baked plans
The government announced a plan to send guest workers back home. But why didn’t they think it through? No one knows, when or where to assemble, how one must reach the designated points, or why when the IRCTC issues a ticket for Rs 855, the fare collected by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is Rs 1,000. Where does the remaining money go and to whom? And why is the BMTC issuing tickets on behalf of the railways. Does BTMC ply buses to Jaipur? No, that is the ‘arrangement’
made by the government of Karnataka. And it’s sending the guest workers on a wild goose chase.
Scenes at Bengaluru's Hudson Circle at this hour: These guest workers, who are waiting in desperation for transport… https://t.co/rBcpQXO9S6
— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) 1588613278000Nirmad (24), a carpenter from Jaipur, received a sms message at 10.30 pm on Sunday that those intending to leave for Jaipur would have to reach Gate 2 at Palace Grounds on Monday morning. The ticket fare mentioned was Rs 1,000. There was no mention of how the guest workers would reach Palace Grounds. So Nirmad and his friends started walking from their homes at 2 am on Monday. After changing two buses, they reached Palace Grounds at 6.30 am, where they found over 2,000 people had already gathered.
Labourers from Bihar protested on Tumkur Road when they failed to get a train as promised
Nirmad and his friends filled up a form with details about their Aadhaar number, number of years they were staying in Bengaluru, and information about their health – whether they had cough, fever or cold. After this they were issued tickets for Rs 1,000.
Tilak, another guest worker, says he found it difficult to rustle up Rs 1,000 because he, like many others, had no income or work for the last few weeks. “We borrowed from whomever we could. I saw some people pleading others to give them money at Palace Grounds.”
Tilak said that each of the guest workers earns about Rs 1,000 after working for six days a week. The last few weeks have been a nightmare in Bengaluru. Says Nirmad, “I will stay home for a month or two and then get back when everything is fine. If I am here, I pay money for rent, electricity and food. The cost of living here is very high, especially when we have no work and no earnings.”
Once the guest workers had paid Rs 1000, they were asked to board a BMTC bus and taken to the Chikkabanavara Railway Station.
Why BMTC is collecting train fares
A BMTC official clarified, “The Indian Railways has no system to do ticketing at camps. A portion of this money will go to the BMTC and the rest will go to the railways. This is the arrangement made by the State government.”
The officials in the transport department also said that a portion of the money should be kept aside to transport these guest workers from their homes to a common point and then to the railway station.
Video: Hundreds of guest workers in Bengaluru block the highway, demand immediate transport arrangements
00:59
Bangalore Mirror tracked these labourers till they reached the railway station by 2 pm. After another round of screening, they were issued an IRCTC ticket again, for a journey from KSR Bengaluru to Jaipur, priced at Rs 855.
PC Mohan clarifies
When PC Mohan, a Bengaluru MP, was asked why there was so much confusion over transporting guest workers, he said, “We had five trains on Sunday which transported many labourers and the same is being done today. Instead of giving tickets inside the railway station, the State government has decided to do this at designated places. Also, the train ticket is not more than Rs 900, irrespective of wherever you travel to in the country. “
When asked how much money the State government would pay to the central government for transporting the guest workers, he said, “That is between the two States. We are not sure how much fare money will be deposited into the railways’ account.”
We will try all means to reach our homes. No matter what it takes, we will go home
When BM contacted a senior official from the Department of Transport, he said the BMTC would have to be paid some money since they were transporting the guest workers from the camps to the railway stations. “Of course the cost will be a little higher because the buses are plying at 50 per cent people capacity.” But he had no clue about the cost.
However, the two tickets issued to the guest workers, a copy of which is with BM, shows that BMTC collected Rs 1,000 and the IRCTC gave a ticket valued at Rs 855. Where did the rest of the money go and to whom? That is the million dollar question.
Inspector injured
.
A police inspector attached to the Peenya police station was injured after one of the guest workers pelted stones at him. The inspector, Mudduraj had to get four stitches on his forehead. The police had gone to the spot to pacify the labourers when one of them pelted stones at the police inspector. Extra police forces have been deployed at the Bengaluru - Nelamangala highway. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister R Ashoka who visited the spot requested the protestors to return to their homes in Bengaluru as it would take time to arrange trains for them to be transported to Bihar and it required the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s consent.
