Hardships force migrant workers to leave for West Bengal on bicycles from Madhya Pradesh

Claiming that they are facing difficulties during the ongoing lockdown in Madhya Pradesh, a group of 17 migrant workers from West Bengal have started travelling back to their native places on bicycles.

They began their journey a day earlier, and reached Rewa on Saturday, and are hoping to reach Durgapur in six to seven days.

Narrating his ordeal, Kumar Sanu Mondal, one of the members in the group, told : "We started our journey yesterday morning from Maihar in Satna and are expecting to reach our homes in West Bengal in next 6-7 days."

"There is no work due to the lockdown in Madhya Pradesh. We were facing troubles. Seventeen of us started on bicycles as there are problems due to lack of food and other facilities," added Mondal.

Sanjit Mondal, another member, agreed: "We were not getting enough to eat. Our families are also worried due to this lockdown. We began from Satna yesterday."

Migrant workers, across the country, have been stranded at their places of work and are demanding to be allowed to go back to their native places, citing the closure of sources of income and other hardships they have to face amid the lockdown, which was extended to May 3 by the Centre to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

( With inputs from ANI )

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