They are worried about who will do their job, the immigrants say, as Karnataka stops the trains.

Migrants arrive at the majestic Bengaluru bus stop to depart for their places of origin. (PTI)

Mohanlal Rishi, a construction worker in North Bangalore, made several trips to the nearby police station to return home to the Kishenganj district of Bihar. Then came the news that the Karnataka government has decided to scrap the trains carrying the migrants back home.

Angry, 51, who has been traveling to Bangalore for work for 10 years, said: “There was supposed to be a train in the morning, but they sent us back. Now, we hear that the trains are being canceled. But, How can this happen? Majboori hai, ghar mein log bimaar hain (I have no other choice, there are sick people at home). Those who want to go should be allowed to go. “

On Tuesday, the state government wrote to the South Western Railway withdrawing its request to organize scheduled train services for migrants the next day. In a series of tweets, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that, after a meeting with officials from the Confederation of Associations of Real Estate Developers of India, “to discuss issues related to migrant workers,” it was explained that Unnecessary travel of migrant workers has to be controlled “since the situation of Covid-19 in the state was under control.” The builders said that the workers were given all essential facilities and construction activities have already started. they instructed ministers to convince workers to refrain from returning to their home states, ”said CM.

So far, eight special Shramik trains have left Bangalore, carrying 9,586 passengers to Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

Tuesday’s decision sparked unrest in labor colonies and factories across the city, where thousands of workers have been waiting since the shutdown to return home. They contest the builders’ claims of having paid their wages, saying they have been struggling for the past month and a half.

The AICTU has filed an application with the Karnataka High Court, seeking an urgent hearing, given the “serious consequences of the state order.”

Rishi, a Bihar worker, said he is surviving on food provided by employers. “We get a paltry Rs 270 a day, because the contractor takes a big chunk out of us. We don’t have that either. How long can we wait All this talk of paying us more is nothing. All of these companies are concerned that once we leave, there will be no one to do their job. Pair humne unka theka le rakha hai kya (However, are they our responsibility)? he says.

Fayaj Alam, a tailor from the Purnea district of Bihar, said he requested to travel back home through the portal. “It’s maddening to spend the days here, just waiting. My employer gives us food, that’s their generosity. But they haven’t paid us. Our debts are growing … If the students can be sent back, why can’t they mazdoor (work)? “he asked.

In a labor colony in Bommanahalli, those who work for contractors employed by Bengaluru Metro are not convinced by the promises of Rs 3,000 if they stay. “Many workers in Jharkhand, Bihar have already left. Only a few of us left from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. How can the construction company work even with so few people? What is the guarantee that it will not bend? “asked Harinder Singh, who is hoping to catch a train to his home in Mau, Uttar Pradesh.

Several workers are afraid of being stranded from their families amid the choroanvirus pandemic. “It is not just about money or food. There will be no one to take care of us if we fall ill … no one will be able to contact us, “said Rajesh Kumar, a 25-year-old JCB operator from Bihar.

The head of the Karnataka Congress, D K Shivakumar, opposed the government’s decision. Having arranged around Rs 1 crore to facilitate migrant travel earlier, he said: “We are on free migrant travel, within the state or between states. They should be allowed to go if they want. We have asked the government and the sector real estate and other industrialists declaring a package for workers. You should sit down with them and ask them what their problems are. They will work only if they feel protected. If Indians in other countries can return, why can’t they? “

An official admitted that the decision at a time when other states were arranging for migrants to return to their homes and Karnataka was recovering their abandoned people, showed that the Karnataka government had bowed to a builders lobby.

BJP MLC Lahar Singh, however, claimed that it was the workers’ home states, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, that had not provided the necessary authorizations. “The decision to ask the workers to stay behind was made in their own interest. If they return to their states as well, they would have to be quarantined … The comments we are receiving from the states are not very encouraging. There are not enough quarantine facilities. “

Singh added that the timing of Yediyurappa’s decision, after a meeting with the builders, was “casual.” “Our request is that as many of them as possible be left behind, but if it is really necessary for them to go home, their trip will be arranged. Train services will be restored soon. ” On the details, he said he could not reveal the same, as it would cause a commotion at the railway stations.

A call to the nodal officer for the welfare of migrant workers, Director General of Homeland Security, P S Sandhu, was answered by an official, who said: “We have no information on why the trains stopped. Those who have to leave cannot go for now, but those who want to return can return following due process. ”

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For the latest news from India, download the Indian Express app.