More than a hundred construction workers, including women and children, spent the night at Rohtak’s Shivaji Colony police station premises on Tuesday after the migrants were called in large numbers to board a train to their home towns, but arrangements could not be made for all of them.
However, they were sent back to their homes in Madhya Pradesh by a train a day later.
Around 100 construction workers staying in the Shivaji Colony police station area got themselves registered online to return to their homes on Monday after the Station House Officer, Inspector Balwant Singh, called up the local labour activists seeking details of the stranded workers.
These workers along with 30-odd farm labourers were then told to come to the police station on Tuesday afternoon to be taken to the railway station to board the trains to their home towns. Though all workers were called, only 35 farm labourers were taken to the railway station. The remaining were told to go back to their rented accommodations in a bus. “But none of these workers got down from the bus and the driver brought them back to the police station,” said Bhawan Nirman Kamgaar Union Rohtak president Sanjiv Kumar.
Demanding that they also be sent back home, these workers claimed they had cleared the dues of their rented rooms, including electricity bills, and had nowhere to go. When they refused to leave the police station, arrangements were made for their stay inside the premises.
‘Food not provided’
Though Mr. Kumar claimed the workers were not provided food on Tuesday night, the police officer denied his claims, saying that two social organisations arranged for their evening and next morning meals.
Eventually, the administration made arrangements for their return home and all workers boarded train to Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday afternoon.