Telangana, Maharashtra slugfest over dumping workers at border

Soumitra Bose & Ch Sushil Rao | TNN | Updated: May 6, 2020, 09:08 IST

Telangana maintains that only those with permission were being sent to their homes after screening

NAGPUR/HYDERABAD: Maharashtra and Telangana were caught in a slugfest on Tuesday over alleged dumping of migrant labourers during the lockdown. While Maharashtra alleged that around 10,000 labourers were left “like animals” at Sirpur-Korsa border in Chandrapur district, Telangana has denied the charges and said that only those with necessary permission were being sent in vehicles after proper screening and health check-ups.
Maharashtra officials said this could result in introduction of coronavirus in remote tribal villages in eastern Vidarbha’s Gadchiroli district, a Covid-19 green zone. They alleged that most of the labourers were sent from the hotspots of Telangana and said their sudden arrival has triggered a massive damage control exercise by the local administration.
While Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said he would look into the issue, a senior government official said the migrants labourers were “ferried like animals” in trucks and dumped at Sirpur-Korsa, which is around 40 km from Gadchiroli’s Ashti taluka.
Gadchiroli district collector Deepak Singla said the indifferent and inhuman approach of Telangana government had taken him by surprise. Singla said Telangana may have now stopped sending the migrants, but the damage has been done. “Labourers coming from there are potential threat,” he said. Gadchiroli SP Shailesh Balkawade said they set up quarantine zones immediately at the place where the labourers were left behind.
Singla said the actions of Telangana were flagged by him during a video-conference with chief minister Uddhav Thackarey, who had asked the state nodal officer to speak to Telangana authorities. Meanwhile, Telangana’s Komaram Bheem district collector Sandeep Jha has denied having received any communication from his Gadchiroli counterpart on the dumping of labourers along the border, Jha said: “We have also been coordinating with Chandrapur collector as the district shares a long border with us.” He said they are also keeping a watch on those trying to escape in boats using the river route.
Adilabad district SP Vishnu Warrier, who is also in-charge SP of Komaram Bheem district, said, “The question of dumping any worker at the border by us does not arise. Those with a valid vehicle pass are only being allowed to cross over to the other side.”