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Manas Das Gupta
Ahmedabad, May 9
Impatient to return to their home states, migrant workers have become a great challenge to the Gujarat government. Thousands of migrants have taken to the streets of Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and various other places in the state, demanding arrangements to return to their homes. There have been numerous cases of angry immigrants throwing stones at the police, and the police turn to the brass load and drop tear gas bombs.
At least 40 lakh stranded in the state
There are around 40 lakh of migrant workers stranded in the state who wish to return, and given the slow process of transporting approximately 1,200 passengers on each train, the exercise would take
A government official claimed that 93 Shramik Specials had already gone with migrants to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states and more were being planned. According to one estimate, around 40 lakh of migrant workers stranded in the state want to return home, and with each train carrying around 1,200 passengers, the entire exercise will take months.
Despite the BJP’s refusal, circulars issued by district collectors clearly indicate that migrants must purchase their ticket and set the charges at Rs 650 for any destination in UP and Rs 765 for Bihar. Adding to the migrants’ problems is the refusal of private carriers to make more trips to other states after 80 buses to Odisha and 50 to Madhya Pradesh were confiscated and their drivers and drivers detained.
West Bengal workers are the most affected. Not a single train has been planned for them so far. Most of the migrants have run out of money and “receive no aid” from the Gujarat government.
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