Long queues of migrants outside screening centres

Amritsar, May 5

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After the Railways announced “Shramik Special” trains, thousands of labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Tuesday gathered outside Government Saragarhi Memorial Senior Secondary School screening center to get necessary clearance to return to their native states. The district administration has set up two screening centers in the city.

The state government was assisting in repatriating migrants to their native states of J&K, UP and Bihar during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 pandemic. The police resorted to a mild lathicharge to prevent the migrants from assembling outside Government Saragarhi Memorial Senior Secondary School.

Rambhawan Goswami, president, Sewa Hi Dharam Jan Kalyan Mandal, said this had exposed the lackadaisical arrangements made by the district administration to screen the migrants.

He claimed that over 47,000 migrants registered online on the portal for return to their native places. Three centers were set up in the city and out of these two remained operational on Tuesday. He blamed the district administration for its shoddy arrangements and called using of force on the migrants undue excess.

At least one-km long queue of migrants, who wish to go back to their native places, was witnessed. It is mandatory for passengers to get necessary clearance before boarding the special train.

Around 70 workers from Jammu and Kashmir were sent back in buses and Rs 500 per persons was charged. The passengers maintained social distancing in the buses.

Teams of the Health Department conducted medical checkup of Kashmiri passengers at the ISBT. Rahila, a Kashmiri migrant, said she did not have a penny left with her, officials of the administration arranged a ticket for her. Mohammad Anis, a rickshaw puller, said he did not have money to pay house rent and the house owner had locked it. He requested the police to fund travel expenses of his six-family members, which will cost Rs 3,000. — TNS