India

Bengal facilitating return of 131 labourers from J&K: Official

PTI

The West Bengal Government is facilitating  the return of 131 people working in Jammu & Kashmir, to the State,  a senior official said on Friday.

The State Government has arranged for a special coach for the workers,  who have expressed desire to return following the killing of five  workers from the state in Kashmir on October 29, she said.

“We are bringing back 131 people who had gone to J&K for work, but  are now unwilling to continue there,” the official said.

While nine labourers have already reached Jammu, the rest are on  their way from Srinagar for the same destination, from where they  would board the train to Kolkata.

The official said the West Bengal government took the decision,  after a senior minister received a video footage in which Bengali  labourers were seen urging theGovernment to take steps in bringing them back.

“The workers are fearful that they will be killed if they continued  to live in the Kashmir Valley,” she said.