Surat: 12,000 more migrants leave for natives

SURAT: About 12,000 migrant workers from the city boarded the shramik special trains for Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand on Wednesday. About 10 special trains were run on Wednesday from Surat to Chappra and Purnia in Bihar, Jagganathpur in Odisha, Banda, Prayagraj and Varanasi in UP and Dhanbad in Jharkhand. Official sources said that about 36,000 migrant workers from the city have so far travelled to Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh since May 2. About 14 special trains will be run even on Thursday.
The Odiya community in the city have raised demands for increased frequency of trains to Odisha to transport maximum number of migrant workers. “Only 13 trains have left for Odisha, against the booking of 68 trains,” complained Surat Odiya Welfare Assn VP, Bhagirath Behara, adding they want five more trains to run daily.
Meanwhile, Odiya workers got restless in Pandesara after their schedule for a train to Odisha wasn’t declared despite depositing money with the association members.
Behara claimed that four associations are working towards collecting data and facilitating travel of the stranded workers. One association had taken money but there was no announcement about a special train, which irked the workers. The issue was sorted out after the intervention of the community leaders, he added.