Odisha government arranges special bus to ferry 56 migrant labourers back to Bengal

MALKANGIRI: The Odisha Government on Wednesday arranged a special bus to carry 56 migrant workers from West Bengal to their native places.

The workers, from Bankura and Murshidabad districts, had appealed the West Bengal Government for help but in vain. 

They were stranded in Secunderabad, Telangana due to the lockdown and started their journey to their villages on foot.

“Upon our arrival at Motu inter-State border check post after a gruelling nine-day walk recently, we tried to contact West Bengal officials on toll-free numbers but there was nobody to listen to our plight,” said Gopal Dule, one of the workers from Bankura. 

Left with no option, they contacted Malkangiri Collector Manish Agarwal, who made arrangements for their return. Dule and the others boarded the special bus in the evening and left for their native places.

The district officials gave them water bottles and food packets for the journey.  The workers would be dropped near Medinipur in West Bengal.