UP government arranges 1,000 buses to ferry stranded migrant workers to make them reach home

With the post announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a complete 21 days lockdown across India, labourers, daily wages construction workers, students and many more are now out on highways trying to walk down to their hometowns.

After the shut down for 21 days starting March 24, these workers decided to return to their respective villages. The sight of multiple groups of migrant workers stranded on the state’s borders has prompted the Uttar Pradesh government to act.

On Saturday morning, the Uttar Pradesh government said “that as many as a thousand buses have been arranged to ferry these migrant workers back to their homes. These workers are now being guided to the Kasuhambi bus depot, Noida Sector 82, and Surajpur Phase-2 from where they will be seated in the respective bus leaving for their village. Officers deployed at all entry points have been issued stringent instructions in this regard”. In addition, government said that “the local administrations of border towns have been asked to provide temporary food and shelter to the migrant workers heading back homes, claimed the state government”.

Responding to fears of the mass migration of migrant workers at a time such as this, the UP government said “that all of these workers will be screened for the novel coronavirus. At present, Uttar Pradesh has 45 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Out of these, 11 people have been treated and discharged. In a tweet on Saturday, UP Chief Minister’s office urged the people to stay where they are and respect the lockdown until further instructions are issued”.

In the national capital, areas such as outer Delhi, North East Delhi and East Delhi have seen people leaving their rented accommodation and moving towards their native places majorly in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar.