Migrants struggle for food, shelter as Punjab seals borders

GS Paul

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 31

The fresh directions of the Chief Minister to seal the Punjab borders temporarily to restrict the movement of people till April 14 as a precautionary measure to combat the spread of Covid-19 has put the stranded migrant labourers from UP, Bihar and other states in a dilemma.

Neither they are be able to go back to their native places nor they are able to make both ends meet here till the situation gets normal.

Around 45 affected persons, associated with bigwig ice-cream firms on a commission basis, are in a peculiar situation.

Ahmad Alam, who hails from Batia (Bihar), said, “Tumhare CM (Capt Amarinder) aur hamare CM (Nitish Kumar) ne to phone pe settle kar liya ke humien jaane nahin diya jayega. Par is jubani arrangement ki hakikat yeh hai ke kaam koi nahin hai aur khaane ke bas vaade hain.”

He said the circumstances got so adverse that they had been sleeping on empty stomach. “Numerous calls were made on helpline numbers but the officials provided us food once only. Afterwards, no one bothered again. The police do not let us go to the Golden Temple where we can at least get food,” he said.

Similarly, Jai Ram, who hails from Banka district, is putting up in Gali No. 7, Karampura. He said along with him, around 40 persons from Bihar were living in the locality. They worked as chefs and helping hand to various catering firms, the owners of which had abandoned them.

When asked about the food arrangement by the Amritsar administration and NGOs, his colleague Suraj Bhan said, “Three days ago, the Mayor accompanied by our area police head visited our locality. They gave us ration that could last for not more than a day. We urge the administration to facilitate us in reaching our villages where our families will take care of us.”

Migrants safe, Capt tells Bihar CM

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh spoke to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and apprised him of the arrangements being made for migrants from Bihar. Captain Amarinder also asked Nitish to assure the families of these migrants back in Bihar that they were being fully looked after by Punjab and its people during these testing times.