Finally Their Long Wait Is Over! First Batch of 1200 Migrants Left Mangaluru by Train on Sat Night
Mangaluru: Their only wish was to leave Mangaluru one day after the lockdown got kicked in, and happily be with their families/kith and kin in their native places in Northern India, after being fed up with all the hardships, agony and suffering faced during the last six weeks. Thanks to the concerned authorities who FINALLY made the arrangement of the FIRST SHRAMIK train that took off from Mangaluru Central Railway Station late night, with 1140 passengers/migrants – and their final stop will be Bokoro Steel City station in Jharkhand- and from there the migrants will move on to their respective destinations. Indeed a relief for these migrants to be with their families in few hours.
Earlier on Saturday, after getting the necessary NOC from the northern states, DC Ms Roopesh Sindhu had said that the first train would leave Mangaluru station to Jharkhand on Saturday- and it did. Arrangements were made to ferry the migrants from their doorsteps to the railway station to board the last night train-after necessary health check-ups/thermal screening, they were allowed to board the train-permitting only two passengers on each seat, due to social distancing. The stranded migrants were informed that they need not visit the railway station on their own and priority will be given for those who had registered first in Sevasindhu Online portal.
From here, the train will travel to UP, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand- and it is learnt that around 5000 labourers from Jharkhand only had registered through this portal to travel to their native places. Food and other facilities had been made by the district administration throughout their train journey, so that they won’t face any inconveniences. Sources reveal that on Sunday, 10 May three more trains will leave Mangaluru to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand- with nearly a total of 21,000 migrants registered so far in the Sevasindhu App to return to their hometowns in Northern India. The trains will be operated until all the migrants who have registered reach their home states.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, and MLA Vedavyas Kamath, among other BJP members and dist admin officials were present at the railway station to wish teh migrants a safe journey back home. In the meantime, MP Kateel had thanked PM Modi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister for State for Railways Suresh Angadi and CM Yediyurappa for making quick arrangements after the stranded migrants were getting restless and desperate to go back to their native places.
MP and MLA can be seen walking around and talking to others with lowered face mask. Is it for looking good on photos? Do they know that when you speak tiny droplets go out of your mouth? Only imaginary God can save our nation from clueless politicians who don’t miss any photo opportunity.