Migrant workers staying in Punjab's Ludhiana have been left in lurch despite the announcement by the Ministry of Home Affairs to allow Indian railways to operate special passenger trains to ferry stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons back to their homes.
While speaking to , migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh stranded in Ludhiana expressed their ordeals.
"I along with other people who are staying with me had applied online to go back to our homes. We were taken to the station by bus and then asked to return. We were assured that we will be taken again tomorrow but we have not received any message yet. We do not have any job, now. We are running out of money. Nobody is there to help us," Virendra Pratap, one of the migrant workers and a resident of Gonda district of UP told .
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Nay 5 wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention to arrange special trains for the next 10-15 days, beginning May 5, to send stranded migrant labourers back to their home states from Punjab.
Despite the prime minister's request on television to not hold anyone's salary, Migrant worker said, "We are not even fully paid for the work we have done in factories. The owner of the factories are advising us to leave for our home if we can. But how can we go, We do not have any means to go."
Similar sentiments were echoed by other migrant labourers who are stranded here.
"Compes have asked us to go if we can..but how can we go without any means. They are not paying us. I have applied to go back but I do not get any confirmation. Those who get, even they were returned from the Railway station. We are not receiving any help from the government. Government is not providing us ration and we are running out of money," said Bablu Ojha, a resident of Balrampur district of UP.
Hoping to receive any help, Another migrant worker, Vinay Pandey of Gorakhpur said, "Administration is promising us to help but they are not helping us. They have asked the factories to resume work, but we are not asked to come back to work. We are dependent upon each other. We are taking money from home for our survival. It is becoming difficult for us to live here in this lockdown."
The countrywide COVID-19 lockdown, which was scheduled to end on May 3, has been extended by another two weeks till May 17.
( With inputs from ANI )