Ludhiana: Following the demand of the local administration, Northern Railways Ferozepur Division ran a Shramik special train (04606) from Ludhiana railway station to Prayagraj on Tuesday night. About 900 passengers, who had registered themselves on the government portals, boarded the train that left around 10pm.
After covering a distance of 971km, the train will reach Prayagraj at 3.50pm on Wednesday.
Deputy commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said, “The Punjab government is in touch with other states for sending back their residents safely. After requests to the Uttar Pradesh government, around 900 migrants left for Prayagraj on Tuesday.”
A migrant, Vikas Kumar, was excited about his journey back home. “When the lockdown ends, I will return to Ludhiana, as it is my second home.”
SMSes were sent to around 1,200 migrants for the train, but 900 came forward and the remaining 300 chose to stay back as several industries have started operations.
Earlier in the day, scores of migrants converged at Ludhiana railway station following messages that the government was running special trains to ferry them to their home states. The first Shramik Express train from Jalandhar railway station, Punjab, to Jharkhand in the afternoon set the buzz going.
As the migrants reached there along with their families, cops – who were deployed in large numbers outside the station – sent them back.
On not being allowed to enter the station, many of them sat on Jagraon Bridge footpath for hours, demanding Shramik trains to take them home. When told that the train was running from Jalandhar, they said in unison that it be allowed to stop at Ludhiana station too, so that they could board it.
Tayab Ali, a migrant, said, “We came here after receiving a phone call from a Jharkhand helpline that trains are starting from Ludhiana as well to take us home.”
Another migrant said, “We have lost our jobs and finding it difficult to make ends meet. We are not even getting ration supply. We should be allowed to go home.”
They said they had registered themselves with the state government to return to their home states and received confirmation messages from the administration.
Mohammad Sharafat Ansari, a native of Jharkhand, said, “I, along with four co-workers, live in Focal Point’s Jiwan Nagar. We worked at a nearby factory. As our factory is now closed and we are not being paid, we have run out of money. On Tuesday, we received a message from the Ludhiana administration helpline that trains were starting to take us to our home states and so, we came here in the morning.”
He alleged that the railway security forces resorted to baton-charge to disperse them. “With cops not allowing us to enter the station, we waited at Jagraon Bridge for a long time after requesting the administration to arrange for our return,” he added.
Ismail Ansari, also of Jharkhand, reached the station along with his wife and two children. “Post-lockdown, I have lost my job. Now, I cannot pay the house rent. Besides, the administration has failed to ensure that essentials reach the needy. Pushed to the wall, we are left with no option other than leaving for our native places.”
He too said that on Monday evening, he had received calls from a Jharkhand helpline about train service resuming.
While driving off the crowds, additional deputy commissioner of police Sukhpal Singh Brar informed them that the district administration would contact them whenever the train service started.
“The police made all arrangements to send them to their homes in Ludhiana. They were told about the state government’s welfare schemes that they could avail of. Besides, they have been told to call up the administration on its helpline in case they faced any problem,” Brar added.
After covering a distance of 971km, the train will reach Prayagraj at 3.50pm on Wednesday.
Deputy commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said, “The Punjab government is in touch with other states for sending back their residents safely. After requests to the Uttar Pradesh government, around 900 migrants left for Prayagraj on Tuesday.”
A migrant, Vikas Kumar, was excited about his journey back home. “When the lockdown ends, I will return to Ludhiana, as it is my second home.”
SMSes were sent to around 1,200 migrants for the train, but 900 came forward and the remaining 300 chose to stay back as several industries have started operations.
Earlier in the day, scores of migrants converged at Ludhiana railway station following messages that the government was running special trains to ferry them to their home states. The first Shramik Express train from Jalandhar railway station, Punjab, to Jharkhand in the afternoon set the buzz going.
As the migrants reached there along with their families, cops – who were deployed in large numbers outside the station – sent them back.
On not being allowed to enter the station, many of them sat on Jagraon Bridge footpath for hours, demanding Shramik trains to take them home. When told that the train was running from Jalandhar, they said in unison that it be allowed to stop at Ludhiana station too, so that they could board it.
Tayab Ali, a migrant, said, “We came here after receiving a phone call from a Jharkhand helpline that trains are starting from Ludhiana as well to take us home.”
Another migrant said, “We have lost our jobs and finding it difficult to make ends meet. We are not even getting ration supply. We should be allowed to go home.”
They said they had registered themselves with the state government to return to their home states and received confirmation messages from the administration.
Mohammad Sharafat Ansari, a native of Jharkhand, said, “I, along with four co-workers, live in Focal Point’s Jiwan Nagar. We worked at a nearby factory. As our factory is now closed and we are not being paid, we have run out of money. On Tuesday, we received a message from the Ludhiana administration helpline that trains were starting to take us to our home states and so, we came here in the morning.”
He alleged that the railway security forces resorted to baton-charge to disperse them. “With cops not allowing us to enter the station, we waited at Jagraon Bridge for a long time after requesting the administration to arrange for our return,” he added.
Ismail Ansari, also of Jharkhand, reached the station along with his wife and two children. “Post-lockdown, I have lost my job. Now, I cannot pay the house rent. Besides, the administration has failed to ensure that essentials reach the needy. Pushed to the wall, we are left with no option other than leaving for our native places.”
He too said that on Monday evening, he had received calls from a Jharkhand helpline about train service resuming.
While driving off the crowds, additional deputy commissioner of police Sukhpal Singh Brar informed them that the district administration would contact them whenever the train service started.
“The police made all arrangements to send them to their homes in Ludhiana. They were told about the state government’s welfare schemes that they could avail of. Besides, they have been told to call up the administration on its helpline in case they faced any problem,” Brar added.
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