MSRTC gears up, shifts 1,100 migrants on Day One

Nagpur: The district administration has expedited shifting of migrants a day after Maharashtra government issued directions to ferry stranded people to state border. While ST buses shifted 1,100 migrants till late night on Sunday, 1,082 were sent by train to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.
On Saturday, the government had directed Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to carry migrants free of cost up to state border. On Day One, over 1,100 migrants were shifted in 46 ST buses to Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border at Khawasa and Chhattisgarh border at Shirpur (Deori).
The government has set aside Rs21 crore for MSRTC for expenses towards shifting the migrants in the entire state. The state public transporter has been given a deadline of May 17 to shift all the stranded people. Senior ST officials were stationed since morning at Ganeshpeth bus stand to ensure smooth going.
Divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar said, “Apart from shifting migrants through Shramik special trains, ST buses will ferry all those kept in shelter homes. We are also roping in private buses to shift them by coordinating with our counterparts in the respective states.”
Till the filing of this report, 46 buses had left from Ganeshpeth for Khawasa (100km) and Deori (150km). The shifting started at 3pm and continued till late night. MSRTC was told to be ready with 40 buses, but had to call six more buses considering the heavy rush.
“We are ready with buses and will continue the operations based on the lists provided by the district administration. The migrants are being brought to the bus stand after health check-up. On Sunday, with the help of NGOs, we distributed meals and water bottles to all migrants. In each bus, only 24 migrants were allowed,” said MSRTC divisional controller Nilesh Belsare.
In the meanwhile, a Shramik special from Nagpur to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh left at 8pm on Sunday with 1,082 migrants. “The train was slotted for 1,122 people, but railway sources said 40 persons did not report. We charged Rs560 per head and tickets were issued to district administration,” they said.
Among the passengers included 153 from Bhandara, Gondia (1), Gadchiroli (8), Wardha (7), Hingoli (2), Nagpur rural (734) and Nagpur city (224). However, 40 of these passengers did not turn up. This was the fifth special train to UP and Bihar and more trains are lined up till May 14.
On payment of tickets, district officials said, “Money was taken from migrants and the same was deposited with the Central Railway. For those who could not pay, money was arranged through NGOs.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the chief minister’s office (CMO) has directed all the district collectors to pay ticket fare of migrants who are unable to pay.