Scores of migrant workers can be seen outside the Secunderabad Railway Station for the past few days, unable to catch the trains they intend to board.
Notwithstanding judgments by the Telangana High Court and Supreme Court of India seeking the respective State governments to take care of the food and shelter needs of the migrant workers till they board the trains, the hapless souls are still on roads desperately waiting for means to reach home.
NGOs arranging help
It is yet again voluntary initiatives which are seeing them through. Food is being provided, and buses and train journeys are being organised by NGOs and philanthropists to help them reach home.
As on Friday, there were 70 persons outside the Secunderabad station, and some of them had been waiting for the past three days. “Someone had booked the tickets for us, and we gave him close to ₹10,000. When we tried to board the train on June 3, the TTE de-boarded us, saying the tickets were not confirmed,” shared Amar Safi, a worker from Danapur, Bihar, who was part of a contingent of 35 workers from Zaheerabad.
They could not cancel the tickets either, as they were told it was not possible.
“Three times we failed to fill the form correctly, and later the person at the counter said the tickets could not be cancelled any more as the train had already left. We lost all the money, and have no means even to eat too,” he said.
They were not allowed to stay in the waiting halls of the railway station, nor were provided any shelter.
Several others from West Bengal and Odisha in similar predicament have been dispatched by buses and trains through private voluntary initiatives.
“They ran five Shramik Specials to Balangir and Nuapada in Odisha on June 3. About 8,000 to 9,000 brick kiln workers from Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Peddapalli, Vikarabad and Devarakonda left for their respective destinations by these trains. However, for the past two days, there have been no Shramik Specials,” informed advocate Vasudha Nagaraj, part of the COVID Advocacy Lockdown Collective aiding the workers. No help desk is set up at the railway stations to help the workers, she said.
Passes to travel on the Shramik special trains is given only through police, who are not always responsive, says Abhishek Roy Choudhury, a volunteer. “Wherever contractors took the responsibility, the workers were sent by Shramik trains. Otherwise, nobody knows when the trains are scheduled,” he says.
The High Court, in its judgment, issued a slew of instructions to the State government and Railways with regard to transportation of migrant workers. Among others, the court had asked the government to look after their food, water, shelter, medical and hygiene needs.
In case of inability to increase the Shramik Special trains, Railways should attach four additional coaches to its special trains, exclusively for migrants, the court order said. However, neither of these instructions is being adhered to, said Ms. Nagaraj.
