KURNOOL: Nearly 40,000 migrant workers, who have returned to Kurnool district from Guntur district, are allegedly facing hardships from their near and dear ones. In fact, the arrival of migrant labourers has increased the burden on quarantine facilities in the district, where COVID-19 positive cases touched 466 on Sunday with 30 new cases.
In the past three days, nearly 40,000 migrant labourers stranded in various places of the State have returned to the district. Most of the migrant labourers were from Pathikonda, Alur, Yamminganur, Adoni, Mantralayam and Kodumur assembly constituencies of the district. They left for work in various parts of Guntur district in January and February.
Almost all of them were working in chilli fields at Pedakurapadu, Krosuru, Achampeta, Bellamkonda, Mallayapalem, Pathipadu mandals of Guntur and Prakasam districts. Speaking to TNIE, a migrant worker hailing from Kandukuru village in Kosigi mandal, who returned from Guntur district, said that people were treating them badly and nobody was speaking to them.
Bajarappa, who hails from Aspari mandal, said that the migrant labourers are facing difficulties ever since their return to their native villages. “When we are purchasing essentials at kirana shops, the locals are maintaining a distance from us. Even the neighbours are not interested to talk to me,” he added. Bajarappa said that the attitude of the villagers has totally changed from the earlier times. “Actually, I was very happy for reaching home safely, but now I am facing new troubles,” he said.
Tests being conducted
Kurnool Zilla Parisath chief executive officer (ZP CEO) Venkata Subbaiah, who is monitoring the migrant labour issues, said that 39,000 workers returned from Guntur district by specially-arranged APSRTC buses. The ZP CEO said that after the arrival of the migrants, medical teams were conducting tests on all of them.
He said that only 15 people have been identified with health issues, but no one tested positive for coronavirus. “If anyone tested positive, we will do the needful,” the ZP CEO said. He also said that migrant labourers from other States working or staying in Kurnool have also been identified and they will be sent back to their native places soon. “We will also bring back the migrant workers stuck in other parts of the country due to the lockdown,” Subbaiah added.