HYDERABAD: The wait to return home might just get longer for lakhs of migrant workers from Telangana, with the city police putting the brakes on travel registrations, at some of its centres in Hyderabad. Senior officials said that the move is temporary and travel will be resumed once the existing batch of pass holders board their trains.
According to the police, over two lakh migrants have registered for train passes from Hyderabad so far. However, only a limited number of trains have been made available to accommodate them.
“Lakhs of migrant workers have already registered for travel passes. But in some cases, their home states have not responded to the request. Only a limited number of trains are running at the moment. So, fresh registrations will only increase their waiting period,” a senior official told TOI, adding, “Now that the construction activity in the state has resumed, we are trying to encourage the labourers to find work here till some arrangement is made for their return.”
The migrant workers, with travel passes, will be sent home in a phased manner, the official said. But the police’s decision has added to the anxiety of many workers, who have been making the rounds of police stations for days. “We went to the registration centre in Gachibowli area on Saturday, but the officials said that the process has been stopped. They said that it would take at least a couple of weeks before the registration process resumes,” said Abdul Raheeq, a migrant worker from Malda district of West Bengal, staying at Financial District.
“Migrant workers are very anxious and there is overcrowding at police stations...but we can begin the second phase of registration only once the rush (of those issued train passes) is cleared,” said another top police official claiming that the enrollment process for passes has been stopped, at certain centres, since Friday. “We will soon decide when the registration process will resume and inform people,” the the official added.
According to the police, over two lakh migrants have registered for train passes from Hyderabad so far. However, only a limited number of trains have been made available to accommodate them.
“Lakhs of migrant workers have already registered for travel passes. But in some cases, their home states have not responded to the request. Only a limited number of trains are running at the moment. So, fresh registrations will only increase their waiting period,” a senior official told TOI, adding, “Now that the construction activity in the state has resumed, we are trying to encourage the labourers to find work here till some arrangement is made for their return.”
The migrant workers, with travel passes, will be sent home in a phased manner, the official said. But the police’s decision has added to the anxiety of many workers, who have been making the rounds of police stations for days. “We went to the registration centre in Gachibowli area on Saturday, but the officials said that the process has been stopped. They said that it would take at least a couple of weeks before the registration process resumes,” said Abdul Raheeq, a migrant worker from Malda district of West Bengal, staying at Financial District.
“Migrant workers are very anxious and there is overcrowding at police stations...but we can begin the second phase of registration only once the rush (of those issued train passes) is cleared,” said another top police official claiming that the enrollment process for passes has been stopped, at certain centres, since Friday. “We will soon decide when the registration process will resume and inform people,” the the official added.
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