With 200th train leaving from Amritsar on Tuesday for Maharashtra, Punjab Government has already facilitated the return of more than 2.80 lakh migrant workers to their home States.
“Another 15 trains would be leaving today taking total number of Special Shramik Trains to 215 run between May 5 and 19. Punjab is one of the top performing States in this regard,” said the state’s Nodal Officer with Indian Railways Vikas Pratap.
Partap said that the state government has been working round the clock to provide all relief and succour “to our guest workers as per the directions of the Chief Minister”, and the task was being accomplished with the collaboration of Deputy Commissioners and the railway authorities of Ferozepur and Ambala Divisions.
Capt Amarinder Singh had assured all migrants working in the State, ever since the crisis broke out, of all assistance and cooperation to whosoever wants to go back to their home state.
Out of total 215, maximum 89 trains have gone from Ludhiana with another 61 trains from Jalandhar have taken migrants to different parts of the country, followed by 19 from Amritsar, 16 from Patiala and 15 from Mohali. Six trains have left from Ferozepur with five from Sirhind and three from Bathinda.
Maximum trains are going to Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar and Jharkhand. Punjab government is also sending trains to Chattisgarh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Assuring the state's commitment to go the extra mile to mitigate their sufferings, Partap said that food, water and other essentials were also being provided to all those travelling back home for their journey.
Besides, Nodal Officers have been deputed for all these states who are pro-actively connecting to their counterparts in other states to facilitate the return of the migrants, and teams constituted at level of the Deputy Commissioners for the mandatory medical screening of migrants.
PSHRC TAKES SUO MOTO COGNIZANCE OF MIGRANT LABOURERS PROTEST IN LUDHIANA
Punjab State Human Rights Commission on Tuesday took the suo moto cognizance of the protest by the migrants in Ludhiana. The Commission has sought a report from the Government through Ludhiana Commissioner of Police to file a report before July 27 — the next date of hearing in the matter.
Going into background of the matter, hundreds of migrants had come on road at Vishwakarma Colony near Jamalpur of Ludhiana on May 14 to mark their protest against the government authorities for allegedly not making required arrangements to send them to their home state Bihar. Some of the migrants had even blamed the police of beating them up.
The migrants were demanding from the government to send them Bihar at the earliest. On the other hand, the police had reportedly denied the allegations.
Taking note of the media reports regarding the incident, the Commission “takes suo moto cognizance of the matter and calls for a report from the State Government in the Home Department, through, the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, before the next date of hearing”.
“A copy of the order, along with a copy of the complaint be sent to the DGP, Punjab; DGP, Human Rights, Punjab, Chandigarh and the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, for compliance,” stated the order issued by PSHRC chairperson Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, member Justice Ashutosh Mohunta, member Avinash Kaur.