Labourers from Jamnagar on way to Madhya Pradesh stopped by police in Morbi

“The labourers said that they were working on agricultural fields at Latipar village in Dhrol taluka of Jamanagar district and that they were on their way back to Madhya Pradesh,” P B Gadhvi, Inspector of Morbi ‘B’ Division police station said.

The labourers were sent back to Latipar after medical screening, the inspector said adding that the tractor bore registration number of Madhya Pradesh.

Latipar village sarpanch Lalji Sankharva said he was not aware of the incident.

“But around 4,000 migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh and central Gujarat work on agricultural farms in Latipar. Normally, they return to their native places during this time of the year. But this year, they have been left stranded due to the lockdown,” Sankharva said.

The sarpanch said that these labourers were not given ration by the state government. “But there is no dearth of ration and other essential items as landlords are taking care of them. We will take cognisance if we receive any complaint,” the sarpanch added.

On April 18, 81 labourers and 21 children from Morbi and Jamnagar district on their way to Rajasthan were stopped and shifted to a quarantine facility, after police intercepted the lorry in which they were travelling at Amirgadh check-post on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border in Banaskantha district. The driver and the conductor of the lorry were booked for violating prohibitory orders.