Jamshedpur, May 7: 879 migrant labourers who returned from Hyderabad on Thursday morning complained of poor facilities provided by�Telangana state government.
The administration divided entire Tatanagar Station premises into 13 sectors and three zones with magistrates and security personnel deputed for assistance and ensuring health practices for Covid-19 amongst migrant workers as the train chugged on at the station at 5 am.
� It was really a harrowing for all of us. We feel relieved to return back to our home state. We had been staying in a pitiable condition after the lockdown and depended on foods supplied by Telangana state government.
We had staged agitation also and we had received assurance only that soon we will be sent to our state.
On May 4 police came and took our details and finally on May 5 night we were taken to Ghatkeshwar Station (around 23 km from Hyderabad) and given tickets of Rs 635 along with food packets (khichdi) and a bottle of mineral water and allowed to board the train at 2.30 am (May 6) the train left the station at 4.30 am.
We did not pay anything,� said a resident of Garhwa who used to work in steel plant in Kutur near Hyderabad for nearly a year on a monthly wage of Rs 15,000.
The administration had arranged 32 long distance buses at the Tatanagar Station for taking the migrant workers to districts like Latehar, Palamau, West Singhbhum, Seraikela, Ranchi, Deoghar, Gumla, Chatra, Garhwa, Jamtara, Hazaribagh. The buses left for the respective districts with police escorts.
Soon after their arrival, the passengers underwent medical check-up at the station premises from where they were sent to their respected districts.
Deputy commissioner Ravi Shanker Shukla along with other officials were present at Tatanagar railway station.
He said the district administration has set up quarantine centres as they expect hundreds of migrant labours to return to the district within the next few days and many of them may be in need of getting accommodated in the quarantine centres, they are keeping the centres unoccupied.
Officials of Tatanagar railway station informed that the situation is being constantly monitored and coordinated at all levels. The official said that desks have been set up all over the railway system and the staff has been sensitized and educated about the subject.
The collaboration and coordination with the concerned health authorities are also being ensured.
�We are looking for more quarantine centres so that so that we are prepared to meet any such challenge. The situation is control right now but we are taking every step to ensure safety.
So far we have nearly 2000 bed quarantine facilities in different blocks of the district. Still we want to keep flats of Tata Steel in our hands for quarantine facilities in case of emergencies,� said an official.
Meanwhile, all the inter-state and inter-district checkpoints in 12 locations of the district have been sealed by the district administration.
