Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, on May 4 offered the fare of 50 trains to the Bihar government to bring back stranded migrants .
“As per the Union Home Ministry’s directions, the State governments would have to arrange trains to bring back stranded migrants from other States…so we urge the State government not to charge train fares from labourer brothers as the main Opposition party, the RJD, is ready to bear the expenses of first 50 trains,” Mr. Yadav tweeted on May 4, adding, “whenever they will ask, the RJD is ready to pay their fares through cheque to the government”.
Urging the State government not to take the excuse of lack of resources to bring back the stranded migrants , the RJD leader said, “you (the State government) should bring back them without any delay”.
Migrants arrive
Meanwhile, the first train with 1,174 migrants from Jaipur in Rajasthan reached Danapur railway station, near Patna, on May 1 and after screening all of them were taken to their respective districts by buses and quarantined for 21-days at centres set up by the State disaster management department at block levels.
On May 4, as many as five trains, three from Kota in Rajasthan with stranded students, two from Kerala and Telangana, with migrants, are expected to reach at different stations in Bihar.
At least 12 Shramik Special trains carrying nearly 13,200 stranded migrant workers, students and others are expected to reach Bihar by May 5 at different stations.
“At least 1,150 to 1,250 passengers will be accommodated in each train…free food is provided to passengers travelling in these special trains”, said Rajesh Kumar, Chief Public Relation Officer of East Central Railway.
The State government has made all arrangements of food, medical screening and buses at these railway stations to take the migrants to their respective home districts.
“All returnee migrants are being kept in quarantine centres run by the disaster management and health departments…there they are provided free food and other necessary stuff by the government,” said State COVID-19 nodal officer Ragini Mishra.
302 quarantine centres
She also added that the State had 302 quarantine centres with enough space to accommodate the migrants.
Bihar, so far, has reported 517 positive cases and four deaths. In all, 125 of them have recovered and a total of 29,254 tests have been done.
Meanwhile, the government said ₹187.8 crore had already been transferred to the accounts of 18.78 lakh migrant workers of Bihar stranded in different States under the Mukhyamantri Vishesh Sahayta Yojna (Chief Minister’s Special Relief Scheme).
“An amount of ₹1,000 was transferred in the bank accounts of each 18.78 lakh migrant people after verification of their applications”, said State IPRD secretary Anupam Kumar.
Maximum 1.43 lakh migrant workers are from Madhubani district, followed by 1.21 lakh from Saran covered under this MVSY scheme launched on April 6 this year to provide financial assistance to the stranded migrant workers, he added.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on May 3 also asked officials to ensure ration cards to all poor families of the State. Providing ration cards to all poor families are necessary as they will be able to continue to get its benefit in future too, Mr. Kumar said.
Published - May 04, 2020 12:17 pm IST
