Train with Bihar migrants leaves Haryana’s Hisar for Katihar

Chandigarh, May 6 (IANS) A special train carrying nearly 1,200 migrants involved in agricultural work in Haryana left Hisar on Wednesday for Katihar in Bihar, official said.

Two more special trains will ply for Katihar — from Ambala on May 7, and Rohtak on May 8.

In Punjab, the second Shramik train left Jalandhar with 1,200 passengers for Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday night.

An official statement quoting Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the state has sanctioned Rs 35 crore in the first phase to pay for migrants’ travel expenses.

“Our officers are closely coordinating with senior Railway officers and those of the recipient states to facilitate smooth movement of these trains,” he said.

Amarinder Singh on May 4 wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek his personal intervention to arrange for special trains for the next 10-15 days, beginning May 5, to transport stuck migrant labourers to their home states.

His request came as the more than 6.44 lakh migrant workers wanting to go back had successfully registered on the state government’s specially created portal.

A Haryana government statement said it would send migrant workers of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh to their home states free of cost by special Shramik trains.

The Chandigarh administration has asked the Railways that it also requires special trains to send 22,000 migrants to Bihar and 15,000 to Uttar Pradesh.

–IANS

vg/tsb