Gujarat: Workers forced to walk back to native in Rajasthan; owners gave them Rs 500 & asked them to go home

PALANPUR: Thousands of labourers working in Ahmedabad have been forced to walk back to their natives in Rajasthan after their employers shut down their establishments in wake of the state-wide lock down.
Labourers carrying their belongings as well as children were seen going by foot on the highway in Sabarkantha district on Wednesday. Many of them arrived in Idar, Himmatnagar and Prantij on Wednesday afternoon, totally exhausted due to blistering heat.
“I was working in Ranip area of Ahmedabad and my employer asked me to leave. He gave me bus fare, but all public transport is closed so we were forced to walk back to our villages,” said Tejabhai, a labourer from Rajasthan.
The families found it hard to find food and water as all highway hotels are shut due to prohibitory orders. Most of them them having received a paltry Rs 500 as compensation from their employers.
However, they found help from Sabarkantha police who distributed food to them.
“I have assure these labourers that some help will be provided in the form of transport to reach their villages in far away Sirohi, Udaipur or Dungarpur in Rajasthan” said Chaitanya Mandlik, superintendent of police, Sabarkantha.
Mandlik said, “We provided them with food, biscuits and water in cotton bags. These labourers have taken an uncalculated and grim risk but they have no option.”
The labourers have been asked to walk in a group of four as prohibitory orders ban assembly of more than four people. Heavy vehicles going towards Rajasthan will be asked to give transport them home, said Mandlik.