Madhya Pradesh Brings Back over 20,000 Migrant Workers Stranded Due to Lockdown

The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday said it had brought back over 20,000 migrant labourers, who were stranded in other states amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

Additional chief secretary I C P Keshari, who is in-charge of the state control room, said at least 20,000 migrant labourers, who were stranded in other states, were brought back to Madhya Pradesh so far.

Labourers travelling in 200 buses from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Jaipur cities had reached Neemuch, Agar-Malwa, Sheopur and Guna entry points in Madhya Pradesh, he said.

These migrant workers will be sent to their home districts after they undergo a health check-up, he said. As many as 500 people were brought back from Gujarat on Wednesday, the senior official said.

Apart from this, at least 2,000 to 3,000 labourers were reaching the state borders on foot every day, he said, adding that 3,000 labourers from Rajasthan, who were stuck in Madhya Pradesh, have been sent back to their home state. Keshari went on to say that 30,000 labourers stranded in various districts of the state were sent back to their hometowns in the last five days.

At least 7,000 labourers from Rajasthan and 3,000 from Uttar Pradesh will be brought back on Thursday, while arrangements were being made to bring back 1,600 workers from Goa, the official said.

Meanwhile, labourers expressed their happiness on returning home after remaining stranded in other states during the lockdown.

Bishnu Bai, who travelled with 18 of his family members to Naya Gaon border between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan earlier this week, said, "We had gone to Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) for work and we are now relieved to return to our village in Ujjain district."

Arvind, a resident of Damoh district, travelled from Aurangabad in Maharashtra and reached Harda district on foot. "I work in Aurangabad, but was stranded there because of the lockdown. I managed to reach Harda on foot and the local administration arranged for my food and stay," said Arvind, who will undergo a health check-up before being sent home.

Earlier on Tuesday, the state government had brought back about 1,350 labourers from Haryana to Gwalior by bus.