Several migrant workers on Wednesday staged a “sit-in” protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Amritsar, as they demanded travel arrangements to return to their native places.
The protesters, many of them with family, told reporters that in absence of any travel arrangements they have been forced to wait outside the Amritsar railway station for the last two days.
Maintaining that they would continue the protest until the administration gives them an assurance, the protesters said they were desperate to return home as most of them lost their jobs during the lockdown and have run out of money. .
Most of the migrant workers at the protest site hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh and had been working at Amristsar brick kilns or those in neighbouring districts. The workers said that they resorted to protest after not getting any assurance about their return from the authorities.
Charge denied
The local administration, however, dismissed the charge and said necessary arrangement for their travel will be made.
“Around a hundred migrants were protesting here, most of them had been working in brick kilns. We are making necessary arrangements for their stay at shelters and travel,” Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon, Deputy Commissioner Amritsar told The Hindu.
Mr. Dhillon said that multiple trains had been running for ferrying migrants.
“Since last week, however, the number of travellers had gone down. We had contacted migrant labourers in our district and many of them didn’t want to go. But later few had a change of mind and expressed their desire to go. So, we are now making all arrangements for them. Besides, there have been many migrants who have come from neighbouring districts. After determining the total number of migrants and their destinations we will arrange trains for them,” he added.