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Madhya Pradesh Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday asked stranded migrant workers to stay where they are. Chouhan’s comments came hours after 16 migrants who were sleeping on the train tracks were hit by a train in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
“I would like to appeal to all stranded workers in other states to stay where they are. The state government is making all the arrangements to bring them back. The process continues at full speed and we will accomplish the mission with the support of the railways. About 80,000 workers have been brought back, “said Chouhan.
After walking several kilometers, the workers sat down to rest on the tracks and then fell asleep. Soon after, a freight train ran over them.
The accident took place between Jalna and Aurangabad in the Nanded Division of the South Central Railway.
The Railways ordered an investigation into the incident after CM Chouhan called Minister Piyush Goyal seeking an investigation.
The workers who died in the accident belonged to the Shahdol and Umaria districts in Madhya Pradesh, police said.
Authorities are trying to verify the identity of each and every worker, said police superintendent Shahdol, Satyendra Shukla.
Twelve among those identified are: Achchhelal Kachhi, Ajit Jeevan Singh, Brijgendra Singh, Muneem Singh and Nemshah Singh, all residents of the Umaria district; Suresh Kol, Dharmendra Singh, Brajesh Gond, Rajbaba Horan Singh, Brajesh Singh and Shivdayal Gajraj Singh from Shahdol District; and Indrakumar Mauryaveer, a resident of the Katni district in Madhya Pradesh.
A police officer said the workers worked at a steel plant in the Jalna district. They left Jalna at 7pm on Thursday and walked down the road to Badnapore. Then they started walking down the train tracks, he added.
“When they got tired of walking about 36 kilometers, they sat down on the train track to rest a little. Later, they fell asleep on the tracks when the train ran over them, “said the officer.
CM Chouhan has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each alongside the relatives of the deceased.
“A team of senior Madhya officials will fly to Aurangabad on a special plane. The team will make all the arrangements for the last rites of the workers and the treatment of the wounded, “Chouhan said.
Congressman Digvijaya Singh sought answers from the state government about the tragedy.
“Did the Madhya Pradesh government have the workers registered? If the registration was made, what were the arrangements made by the state government to bring them back? The government should feel ashamed. Instead of issuing statements, Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should do something for the workers, “said Singh.
(With contributions from Monika Pandey in Jabalpur)
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