Migrant labourers block highways in Dahej, Jambusar

Surat: Thousands of migrant workers in Dahej and Jambusar in Bharuch district blocked two crucial state highways of these highly industrial clusters on Thursday, demanding arrangement for travel to native states .
Sources said the migrant workers blocked the highway at Dahej near Jolva village and shouted slogans of their demands. They blocked the highway for nearly two hours, hampering the movement of the transport vehicles.
Dahej police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control by convincing the workers that they would be able to go home and blocking the highway was not the solution.
In similar incident, labourers in Derol village poured out on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway and blocked the road for nearly three hours. It was after the intervention of the police that they dispersed.
The trucks to and from Dahej were stuck in the blockage at Jolva as this is the only highway from where the movement of industrial goods is done in Dahej. Similarly, Jambusar-Bharuch highway is crucial to the movement of goods in Bharuch and Jambusar industrial areas.
Bharuch SP, Rajendrasinh Chudasama, said, “Most of them are stranded due to the lockdown. Many have not even been paid lockdown wages and don’t have money to spend.”
Chudasama added, “We convinced the migrants that they will be able to return as the special trains have started. Till now, about 8,000 migrants have boarded the special trains from Bharuch to various destinations.”
An office-bearer of Dahej Industrial Association said, “Majority of the workers are hired through contractors. The industrial units have paid the wages to the contractors, but they are yet to pass on the money to the workers. This has irked the workers and they want to leave as early as possible.” Sources said that migrant anger has been brewing in Bharuch district for the past two days. On Wednesday, the workers had blocked the Jhagadiya highway too.
Meanwhile, around 95% of the nearly 3,500 industrial units Bharuch district have started operations at less than 30% capacity. The industrial units, which are mainly into chemicals and dyes intermediates, glass manufacturing, engineering etc., are facing raw material shortage. The units are mainly located in Ankleshwar, Dahej, Vilayat, Panoli and Jhagadiya estates, employing close to 60,000 migrant workers.