In five days, almost 8 lakh apply to leave Haryana towards the native states, 92k applied to return

According to estimates, up to 60,000 migrant workers had come to Haryana this season to do agricultural work. (Figurative)

In just five days, as many as 7.74 lakhs of migrants have requested through a government web portal to return to their native states from Haryana. The state government had launched this website on Sunday. On the same portal, almost 92,000 more have requested to be brought to Haryana from other states.

The number of those who want to return and those who want to leave now represents a great challenge for the authorities.

As of now, official sources revealed, the government has finalized plans to send only 40,000 migrant workers to their native states from Haryana. Officials believe that even those people have requested on the web portal that they are relatively comfortable in their workplaces today.

The government also plans to send migrant workers to their places of origin via buses. Haryana Transportation Commissioner Virender Dahiya told The Indian Express that up to 28,000 migrant workers will be sent to Uttar Pradesh via Haryana Roadways buses. “The buses will be used to transport workers to 18 districts of Uttar Pradesh, mainly in western UP. Up to 100 buses have also gone to Uttarakhand to transport workers from Haryana, ”said Haryana CID chief Anil Kumar Rao.

The state also began sending migrant workers to its states via trains beginning Wednesday. The first train carrying 1,200 workers was to Bihar from Hisar on Wednesday. “The departure of five trains from Haryana (Ambala to Katihar, Rohtak to Katihar, Rewari to Sagar and Hisar to Muzaffarpur) to transport 6,000 workers to Bihar and Madhya Pradesh was also scheduled for Thursday. Among these, two trains were planned from Rewari to Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), while one was for other destinations, “said an official source.

However, in the late afternoon, officials said only three trains carrying 3,600 migrant workers went to their destinations on Thursday.

According to estimates, up to 60,000 migrant workers had come to Haryana this season to do agricultural work.

“It is our priority to send these migrant workers to their native states because they do not have any jobs here since the harvest season has already ended. Migrant workers hired in stores or other establishments can wait a while. These workers are medically examined one day. before they are transferred to their destinations. Their temperature is checked before boarding the trains at the railway stations. They are also provided with packaged food, “Rao said.

The Haryana government has purchased 1,200 railroad tickets for each of the trains. State government officials distribute these tickets to workers at no additional cost. These trains, authorities said, move to their destinations without stopping at any station.

A senior official, who is dedicated to coordinating with other states, told The Indian Express that people who have applied to come to Haryana also include workers from other states. “We have reports that a large number of workers want to come to Haryana from their states, mainly from Bihar to resume their work here in the hope that the situation will improve in the coming days,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Haryana’s Interior Minister Anil Vij clarified on Thursday that those who will return to the state from abroad will be locked up in quarantine facilities near Delhi airport this time. “Previously, people who had returned to India from abroad were quarantined in their homes, which likely led to the spread of the coronavirus. But this time, they will not be allowed to go home directly. They will be allowed to move into their homes only after spending a specific period in the quarantine facility centers, “the minister said. According to Vij, up to 5,000 people want to return Haryana from other countries.

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