UP: Migrant labourers of other states to be provided transport and shelter in Aligarh and Hathras

AGRA: In a bid to provide some succour to the hundreds of migrant workers who have reached Aligarh and Hathras by walking their way from various parts of the country, the two district administrations have decided to make arrangements for their further transportation to the borders of the neighbouring states, besides providing them boarding lodging at various shelters across the two cities.
One such migrant couple, Santosh Kumar and his wife, Maan Kumari, who arrived in Aligarh from Haryana’s Ambala on foot with five children told TOI on phone that they were extremely “tired” and had no energy to make it further to Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli. “We started on May 1 and my wife delivered a baby boy on the way but we did not stop as there was no place to take shelter. When we reached here, some officials asked us a few questions and gave us Rs 1000 for buying raw stuff for making food”.

He said this morning, they were shifted to a shelter home, Kalawati Palace, in Aligarh and were told that they would be dropped at Madhya Pradesh border by a bus after health screening. He said they didn’t know what was in store for them, after they reach the MP border.
Confirming this, Aligarh DM CB Singh, said, “There are state government orders to provide transportation facility to UP migrant labourers, who walk on foot, to their destinations across the state after providing food to them. But we are also providing food and shelter to migrant labourers who hail from other states before sending them to the border in a private bus on humanitarian ground. Thermal screening is also being done in every case”.
In Hathras district, Kripal Pandey, who was travelling from Delhi to Jharkhand on foot by the railway lines, reached Hathras district on Tuesday, said that no one stopped them on the way as they were coming on the sides of the railway lines. The Hathras Railway police stopped them and put them in a shelter home, where food was also provided to them, he said. “Today the administration ensured to send us back to our district,” he said, adding that they faced a lot of difficulties in Delhi since lockdown started.
According to RPF junction police inspector, Harikesh Meena, they found 17 persons including seven from Jharkhand, walking on the sides of railway lines. “We immediately informed the district authorities, who took them to the shelter home”. Recently, 16 migrant workers were mowed down by an empty freight train in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district. They were sleeping on the railway line when the mishap occurred.
Hathras District Magistrate, Praveen Kumar Laxkar, told TOI that they are providing boarding and lodging services not only to migrant workers from UP but also to those who hail from other states. “We have contacted the concerned state administrations and are making transportation arrangement for them,” said Laxkar.